CHENNAI: The city braved the most scorching day of the year at 41.6 degree Celsius on Sunday after showers swept the city less than a fortnight ago.
Residents across Chennai expressed great distress at having to survive it from both inside and outside their homes. “We had to keep the air conditioning switched on all afternoon. Bills are going to climb up if this kind of heat continues for the next few days,” says 20-year-old Akshara, a resident of Alwarpet.
Some said that the weather prevented them from stepping out the whole day. “I fear to go to work tomorrow at this rate,” says 49-year-old Saravanan who oversees work at a construction site.
Stray animals were also victims to the blazing heat, as ground level humidity remained at 60%.
It keeps in tone with last year when the weather around this time was about the same at 42 degrees (May 23) which was recorded the hottest day of the year. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, the lowest temperature on Sunday was forecast at 30 degrees.
There seems to be no respite from the heat wave in the coming days, as the temperature is forecast to hover over 40 degrees for the next few days.