CHENNAI: The unusual heatwave-like conditions have swept Tamil Nadu with some districts reporting daytime temperature in excess of 4-5 degree Celsius above normal. Madurai has already breached its all-time record while Chennai’s Meenambakkam weather station recorded 38.40C on Monday which is the hottest for September since 2018.
The dry weather conditions would continue for a few more days as there is moisture depletion and the atmosphere is not conducive to cloud formation.
P Senthamarai Kannan, Director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre, Regional Meteorological Centre, told TNIE, “Due to back-to-back weather systems in the north, there is a change in wind flow. Currently, dry westerlies are flowing. There is hardly any moisture in the air and the upper air atmosphere is not in favour of cloud formation.
Also, during this time of the year, the sun moves from north to south. By September 23, it will be over the equator. Now, it is 8 degrees north, which is essentially South TN. Although it happens every year, the problem this year is there is no cloud cover due to which sun rays are much stronger. All these have contributed to a significant rise in daytime temperature.”
On Monday, Madurai recorded 40.30C, which is 4.50C above normal. On September 5, Madurai airport recorded 40.80C, which is a new all-time high for the month of September. The previous record was 40.40C on September 10, 2019.
Other weather station with the highest deviation in temperature is Karur, which recorded 38.20C, which is 50C above normal. Similarly, Madurai city, Nagapattinam, Kodaikanal, Adirampattinam and Salem also recorded daytime temperatures in excess of 40C above normal. Meenambakkam weather station in Chennai recorded 38.40C, which is 3.80C above normal.
People staying close to the coast were saved by the early sea breeze. Nungambakkam station recorded 37.10C, which is 2.70C above normal. The normal temperature for the month of September in Chennai is 34.40C.
On Sunday, Nungambakkam station registered 38.20C, which is the highest in the last decade. The all-time record for the month of September is 38.90C recorded on September 19, 1883.
The metrological department said maximum temperature is likely to be 2-40C above normal at a few pockets over TN. In Chennai, for the next 48 hours, the maximum temperature is likely to be 38-390C which is as hot as summer.