Hotter days ahead in TN as mercury level likely to surge

CHENNAI: Even as there is a well-marked low-pressure area formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the system changes the wind flow pattern for Tamil Nadu, hotter days are ahead for the state, especially the coastal districts, as the mercury level is likely to surge due to the northerly–westerly wind that dominates the sea breeze.

The low-pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining South Andaman Sea has become a well-marked low-pressure area over the same region and it persisted over the same region on Wednesday.

It is likely to intensify into a depression and subsequently into a cyclonic storm over Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of east-central Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea on Wednesday.

The cyclonic storm is likely to move initially north-northwestwards towards east-central Bay of Bengal till May 11. Thereafter, it will recurve gradually and move north-northeast wards towards Bangladesh-Myanmar coasts.

"The system over the sea changes the wind flow pattern, the state would get northerly – westerly wind which would dominate the sea breeze to land. So, the maximum temperature is likely to rise gradually for the subsequent days. The coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, and Chengalpattu would be more impacted due to soaring heat," said P Senthamarai Kannan, director of area cyclone warning centre, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai.

For the next five days, the weather department has predicted that the State would experience a surge in the maximum temperature at least by two – four degree Celsius.

A few districts are expected to record around 40 degree Celsius. Meanwhile, light to moderate rain is likely to occur over isolated places in Tamil Nadu for the next 48 hours.

As per the RMC data, the state received 115 per cent more rain than normal during the summer season from March 1 to May 9.

The total amount of rainfall recorded in Tamil Nadu was 170 mm, against the normal rainfall of 79 mm.