Street food vendors begin summer break earlier than usual

Stating that she is unable to bear the heat and the increased pollution this year, Soundari S who is known for the chicken dishes that she sells in Guindy, said, “My husband is an electrician and my son a plumber. I used to take a break every year for around two months during Summer. However, this year, the condition is terrible. I would return home terribly tired and weak and my family suggested that I begin my break this month itself. Besides, the customers too have reduced as people prefer to eat indoors.” 

Another vendor claimed that his home-made samosas were getting spoilt due to the heat. “Usually, the samosas remain fresh until late evening and customers come in plenty. However, I have realised that it now tends to get spoilt by evening and goes to waste,” alleged Murugan, who sells samosas outside the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. 

However, weather experts claim the worst is yet to come as the weather has remained tolerable so far. Weather blogger Pradeep John said, “This April is cooler than last year. We are yet to see Summer, unlike the case in the Northern states. It is normal in Peninsular India. Interiors like Madurai and all are recording 38 Degrees Celsius, but Chennai city is yet to cross 36. Our highest was 35.6 Degrees Celsius. Last year, there was a day when we even crossed 39.7, while the temperature stood at over 35 for most of the month, which was terrible.