Very hot, abnormally hot. That is going to be life in Tamil Nadu for 3 months

CHENNAI: Soaring temperatures have been beating down on the denizens since March, and it’s only going to get worse, say weather experts. Heat and humidity will spike as the mercury level is likely to record above average temperatures between April and June.

Abnormally hot days are ahead, and many parts of the State are likely to witness heatwave conditions especially over coastal and interior districts of Tamil Nadu.

S Balachandran, deputy director general of meteorology, Chennai Meteorological Centre, said, “The Indian Meteorological Departmentreleased the heatwave conditions for the summer from April to June in the State. Maximum temperature may surge by 3-5-degree Celsius than normal overall. The mercury level is likely to hover around 40- 41 degrees at a few pockets over the north interior districts. Many areas in the plains of the interior areas will be 38-40 degrees Celsius. In the coastal areas of the State, it would be 34-37 degrees.”

For the next few days, the maximum temperature is likely to increase further by 2-3 degrees over isolated pockets of Tamil Nadu, making it hotter, more humid and very uncomfortable. “If the maximum temperature surges by 4 degrees it’s considered a heatwave. Anything more than 4 degrees is a severe heatwave,” he added.

In the previous years, the weather department had predicted the maximum temperature would increase by 3-4 degrees than usual, but this year many parts of the State are very likely to witness extreme heat wave in the next 3 months. Since the maximum temperature had recorded around 40 degrees recently, a heatwave condition was announced by the department.

“Usually the ocean would absorb heat and gradually release it, which eventually makes it hotter than normal on land. From this week, the maximum temperature is likely to increase by 3-4 degrees, which is higher than normal in TN and will continue for another 10 days as per the weather models. Usually, the temperature levels are above normal in Peninsular India during the summer seasons,” explained an independent weather blogger K Srikanth.

Similar weather conditions prevailed in 1998 and 2010, even though it was not an unusual surge in mercury level but it’s likely to get abnormally hotter till June. On April 2, the temperature in Erode already touched 41 degrees. The maximum temperature is likely to record over 40 degrees in the west interior districts and coastal areas including Chennai in the next few days.

“Since the State had already received poor summer rain in March, a longer dry spell will lead to a sudden surge in temperature and sultry weather will prevail across the State. The wet weather in April is likely to be less than normal,” added Srikanth.

It’s noted that the maximum temperature will increase in Chennai and suburbs from mid-May to the first half of June. However, it’s expected to gradually decrease from mid-June in the interior districts of Tamil Nadu.

“Moisture in the air has completely dried up which has led to a sharp spike in temperature level across the State especially over coastal regions where the moisture level over the sea has come down. Unlike the previous years, summer began early this year, which leaves 3 more months of this sweltering heat to let-up. We’ve been experiencing severe heat and intense rainfall during the summer and monsoon seasons respectively. If this trend continues for the next three decades, climate change will be the reason,” stated a climate change expert. “Since the maximum temperature has already surged in the State, it’s likely to continue. We can expect dry days to increase and eventually lead to decrease in the rainfall activity during the monsoon seasons.”

A pocket fan to cool you down during commute

Come summer, and the demand for home appliances like fridge and air-conditioners surges in the market. This year, there’s a sharp spike in the demand for pocket fans from across all socioeconomic groups.

Pocket fans are popular among office-goers and college students, mostly because of the price and convenience.

“Price for a pocket fan starts at Rs 699, and it’s chargeable too. Each charge could last for 4-5 hours. It’s popular among those who have long-distance commute daily especially in autos and buses,” said M Shanmugham, Poorvika appliances.

Sale of ACs always spike during summer, along with air-coolers and fans. Exchanging old ACs for new ones, EMI schemes, and free installation are provided by almost all retailers to attract customers.

“ACs have been selling fast since March 15, and in the past week, it has increased. It’s the same for air coolers and fans too. Demand is high for split-AC especially with a five-star rating. Inverter ACs are gaining ground in the market,” said V Thangamalar Jaganath, partner of Vasanth & Co.

The current sale for AC is similar to the sales we see during festival time, said a visibly happy retailer. “When compared to last year, our sales have increased, and it’s only going to get better this summer. People who used to purchase one AC in a house now buy them for each room in the house,” he pointed out.