CHENNAI: The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a temperature warning for Tamil Nadu till May 14 as mercury is set to soar several degrees above normal. “Maximum temperature is likely to rise gradually by 2-4 degrees Celcius during the next five days. It is likely to be above normal by 2-3 degrees Celcius at isolated pockets in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between May 13-14. High maximum temperatures coupled with high humidity is likely to cause discomfort to vulnerable people,” said officials of the regional meteorological centre in Chennai.
P Senthamarai Kannan, director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre, told TNIE that there is no current forecast of a heat wave in Tamil Nadu. “Heat wave is declared if the departure from normal is 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celcius above normal for at least two consecutive days. As of now, we don’t foresee it,” he said.
In Chennai, the sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy for the next two days. Maximum temperature will hover around 36-37 degree Celsius. The normal day time temperature for the month of May is 37 degree Celcius.
The met office said the rise in temperature is due to several cyclonic storms brewing in the Bay of Bengal which would drag all the land moisture. As per the latest bulletin, a deep depression has formed over south Andaman Sea about 530 km southwest of Port Blair. It is very likely to move north westwards and intensify gradually into a very severe cyclonic storm by the midnight of May 11 over Bay of Bengal.
Thereafter, it is likely to recurve gradually, move north eastward and weaken slightly from May 13 and cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) and Kyaukpyu (Myanmar) around forenoon of May 14 with maximum sustained wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting to 130 kmph, IMD said.