CHENNAI: The city, which was simmering at 42°C on Wednesday, was unusually hot as the temperature refused to come down even in the evening as the sea breeze failed to bring the heat under check. Amid an unusually prolonged and intense heat spell, one of the reasons for the hottest day this summer is the strong winds blowing in hot and dry air from Andhra Pradesh.
“The present spell is being intensified by strong westerly winds transporting hot and dry air from the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, which has been witnessing severe heatwave conditions with several stations crossing 44°C,” VR Durai, RMC deputy director general of meteorology told TNIE.
“Hot continental winds have weakened Chennai’s coastal cooling mechanism. The spike in temperature is mainly due to strong westerlies bringing very hot air from the Rayalaseema belt. The inland heat is overpowering the sea breeze effect over north Tamil Nadu,” he said.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Nungambakkam recorded a maximum temperature of 40.7 C, which is 2.5°C above normal, while Meenambakkam airport touched 42°C — 2.9°C above normal. The temperatures marked the highest readings of the season so far at both stations.
The heat was not restricted to the afternoon alone. Temperatures remained abnormally high well into the evening, highlighting the severity of the ongoing spell. At 5.30pm, Meenambakkam was still recording around 41°C, a rare occurrence for Chennai, where sea breeze usually moderates conditions by late afternoon.
Weather blogger K Srikanth said Chennai has touched 45°C in the past, but the present spell was unusual because of the persistence of high temperatures for extended hours. “A temperature close to 41°C even at 5.30 pm is highly unusual for a coastal city like Chennai. The atmosphere is not cooling efficiently.”
At Srikanth’s personal weather station in Padi, located between Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam, the temperature stood at 38.2°C at 11.44am and remained as high as 37.4C at 6.19 pm. “The sea breeze reached my area only around 6.15pm. Until then, south-southwesterly winds dominated. The sea breeze today was weak and set in only around 2.15pm near the coast,” he said.
RMC official said weather models indicated that the elevated temperatures were likely to persist for at least another week. “Some relief is expected only after the southwest monsoon sets in over Kerala, likely around May 26, which could enhance moisture incursion and improve sea breeze activity. But, if the monsoon starts on a weak note, the heat spell would extend further,” the official said.
