After a few days of hiatus, the northeast monsoon is expected to revive over the city in two or three days.
Residents have been experiencing hot weather for the last three days. On Tuesday, the weather observatory in Nungambakkam recorded 34 degree Celsius, nearly four degrees above normal. Meenambakkam too registered a slightly above average temperature of 33.3 degree Celsius.
After the initial spell on October 21 and 22 that ushered in the monsoon, Chennai has not recorded any significant amount of rainfall for the past one week. Officials of the meteorological department said this weather pattern is expected to change in two or three days. Rainfall may increase gradually over the State this week and Chennai too is expected to get some rains.
However, persistent heavy rainfall may not occur. Cyclone Phailin and an ensuing weak low pressure that brought rains to north Andhra Pradesh and Orissa were reasons for the lack of rainfall in the State, said an official.
Y.E.A. Raj, deputy director general of meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, said rainfall had not been good so far in October. This month, Chennai has recorded 157 mm of rainfall, with a deficit of nearly 89 mm of rains for the season. Last year, the city received 422.6 mm of rainfall in October.
Weak westerlies are still prevailing over the city and have contributed to the rise in day temperature. “We expect the winds to revert to easterlies that favour northeast monsoon, by Wednesday,” he said.
The department forecasts that Chennai and its neighbourhood will receive rain or thundershowers during the evenings or nights till Thursday.
