In many interior parts of the State, including Vellore, Salem and Tiruchi, the day temperature scaled to 40 degree Celsius for the second consecutive day on Monday.
The mercury climbed four or five degrees above normal in many places, including Coimbatore, Tiruttani and Madurai.
The presence of westerlies, which bring hot, dry winds from the land — something unusual for this time of the year — has contributed to the blazing heat, Met officials say.
Weather blogger Pradeep John notes that though places like Salem and Vellore experience soaring temperatures in March, but the mercury has hit the 40-degree Celsius mark quite early this year owing to hot air blowing from the land.
However, experts say there is a possibility of showers in southern Tamil Nadu by the end of this month.
Though the change in wind pattern from cool easterlies to westerlies occurs only in April, such brief episodes do happen in March too, observe weather experts.
Y. E. A. Raj, former deputy director general of meteorology, noted that increase in temperature levels also depends on the length of day time and the angle of sun rays during March.
“Coastal areas like Chennai have an edge over the interior parts as sea breeze provides respite from rising temperatures,” he said.
On Monday, Chennai seemed to be already in the middle of May, with several parts of the city, especially the suburbs, recording the highest day temperature for the year, so far.
Given the way the Mercury has been behaving, ‘Hotter, Drier and Wetter’ — the theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day, observed on March 23, that dwells on rising temperature and climate change — seems to have been aptly chosen, especially where Chennai is concerned.
The weather observatory in Meenambakkam registered 36.1 degree Celsius, five notches above normal and the one in Nungambakkam also recorded 36.1 degree Celsius, three degrees above average.
“It’s considered normal only when the deviation is by one or two degrees from the normal temperature,” said S. B. Thampi, deputy director general of meteorology, Chennai, adding that changing wind patterns and a clear sky had led to rising mercury level.
“Dry weather will continue for two more days. Chennai may get a respite from the searing heat in mid-April as evening showers are likely then. We expect the day temperature to peak beyond 42 degree Celsius in May,” he said.
