Mercury rising in Chennai and south TN, thunderstorm in west

The temperature dropped marginally on Saturday, though it remained higher than the normal. There are predictions for rain in the coming week, but limited to only the western parts of the state. 

As per the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai recordings, the weather station at Nungambakkam registered 34.4 degree Celsius, while the reading at the station at the airport stood at 36.3 degree Celsius on Saturday. It was 35.2 degree Celsius and 36.8 degree Celsius respectively on Friday. 

A comparison with the temperature recorded in March since 2008 showed that the heat on Friday was the second highest in the decade – only 2011 with 37.7 degree Celsius on March 10 was higher than that. This is substantially higher than the mean temperature between 1981 and 2010 – 32.9 degree Celsius. This is only bound to get worse as the summer sets in. 

Meanwhile, as the state is reeling under heatwave conditions, the Regional Meteorological Center, Chennai has predicted thunderstorm activity, particularly in western region of the state, in the first week of April. However, chances remain bleak for Chennai to receive rain for the next one week. 

The weather bulletin it issued stated that a new trough formed on Friday between south central Maharashtra to Cape Comorin (Kanniyakumari) area was running across interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu,as well as Telangana and Rayalaseema. 

“Such system may lead to low-pressure after there is a change of wind pattern in the next few days. Western Ghats will receive the moderate rains, while the current satellite images indicate that northern parts including Chennai will remain cloudy,” said an official.However, south Tamil Nadu would continue to see sweltering heat for the next few days. Chennai would receive rain only if Easterlies intensified, he added.