Sunday has been the hottest day so far this month, with the Meteorological Department’s Meenambakkam observatory recording a maximum temperature of 37.7 degree Celsius.
‘Kathiri’ or the peak summer season officially began on Saturday.
Officials said the mercury level is on the rise, as the temperature on Saturday was 37.1 degree Celsius, while until Friday it hadn’t gone beyond 36 degrees.
Sunday was made worse by the high level of moisture in the air. While the humidity recorded at Meenambakkam was 77 per cent, it was 88 per cent at Nungambakkam. Despite a strong, south-easterly wind blowing in all day long from the Bay of Bengal, residents said it was a scorcher of a day.
“Ceiling fans don’t help in such weather. Though we manage to live with the heat during the day, the nights are extremely uncomfortable,” said Kausalya, a resident of Thoraipakkam.
For Monday, the met department has forecast a partly cloudy day in the city, with thunder clouds developing towards evening. There could also be rain or thunder showers in some areas on Wednesday, officials said.