MADURAI: Madurai recorded its hottest day in a decade on Tuesday, with a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5°F) recorded in the airport area.
The previous high was 42 degrees Celsius recorded in 2017, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The unusually high temperature left residents of the city grappling with intense daytime heat. D Jenifer, a resident of Avaniyapuram said the weather has been harsh than what they experienced during peak summer. “Even during the peak, we did not experience such intense heat. Stepping out for even a few minutes has become difficult over the last few days. There was a good breeze until last week, but the clear skies and reduced wind over the past couple of days have made the heat far more oppressive,” she added.
Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a heat wave warning for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for July 14 and 15. Maximum temperatures are likely to be 4 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal at isolated places.
Further, the health department has advised people to avoid direct exposure to the sun during peak afternoon hours, drink plenty of fluids, and take adequate precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses. Geology experts attributed the weather condition to the influence of the El Nino phenomenon.
Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan in a press statement urged the Tamil Nadu government to intensify heatwave preparedness as several districts continue to witness unusually high temperatures.
He criticised the Regional Meteorological Centre and the State Disaster Management Authority for issuing delayed and inadequate warnings. Citing the influence of El Niño, he called for stronger public awareness measures and coordinated action to safeguard drinking water supplies and agriculture.
Heatwave warning
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai issued a heatwave warning for isolated parts of interior Tamil Nadu, at least till Friday, while several stations, including hill towns of Ooty, Coonoor and Kodaikanal, also registered their highest temperatures for July. Udhagamandalam (Ooty) recorded 24.8°C, Coonoor touched 26.9°C, and Kodaikanal, , registered 24.2°C, 6.3°C.
“Usually, we see highest temperatures getting recorded in north India or Rayalaseema or Telangana, but on Tuesday Madurai AP station bore the brunt of the peak heatwave conditions. Madurai, Virudhanagar and Dindigul districts will continue to experience heat wave conditions at least till Friday. During this weekend, weather models are picking up light rainfall activity, which would bring some relief from the extreme heat. The rainfall will be subdued till the end of July. Even Kerala is going through a dry spell,” VR Durai, head of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, told TNIE.