Angeline Samuel flew down from Delhi two days ago to escape from the heat wave conditions prevailing there. She was, however, hit by a different kind of heat in Chennai.
Well into June, Chennaiites are still contending with scorching weather, with the mercury level soaring above normal on many days. It is a twin burden as unscheduled power cuts are occurring across the city, exacerbating the harsh condtions.
Even residents who stay indoors find it difficult to cope with the sweltering heat. “The evenings are also hot here. I pour water on the roof during the nights for some relief from the heat. Power fluctuations make it worse,” said Ms. Samuel, a resident of Guindy.
On Thursday, both Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded a maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius, nearly three degrees above the average. Though June is considered to be a hot month, it is rather unusual for the mercury level to cross the 40-degrees Celsius mark. The sea breeze, the saving grace during this time of the year, has also failed the city over the past few days.
Officials of the meteorological department said strong westerlies, which bring hot, dry winds from the land, have prevented the setting of sea breeze. For the past three days, westerly winds have been blowing at a speed of 15-20 km/hour. Due to this, it takes a longer time for the temperature to drop, resulting in hot and humid nights.
According to Y.E.A. Raj, former deputy director general of meteorology, in May, the sea breeze sets in between 12.30 p.m. and 1 p.m., while the normal time for its onset during this point in summer is 2.25 p.m. in Nungambakkam and 3.25 p.m. in Meenambakkam because of the strong westerlies.
He said the absence of cloud cover, owing to weak southwest monsoon conditions, was another reason for the unusual heat. While it is not common for the temperature to cross 40 degrees this month, Chennai had experienced 9-10 hot days in June during 2012 and 2009, he added.
Weather bloggers in the city said the onset of the southwest monsoon as well as its pace determine the city’s temperature level.
Ehsan Ahmed, a weather blogger said a low-level circulation over northeast Bay of Bengal had sucked moisture off surface winds and had not allowed the sea breeze to set in. Lack of thunderstorm activity has only added to the woes of the city residents, he added.
The meteorological department said the current weather pattern would continue, and the maximum and minimum temperature will hover over 40 and 30 degrees Celsius, respectively.
