Relief from heat, light rain likely in Chennai for next two days

CHENNAI: After the hot days and warm nights in the first week of February, weather experts have some good news with forecasts of cloudy skies and light spells. While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said there could be light rain in isolated areas over Tamil Nadu, weather bloggers said coastal areas of the state including Chennai are s likely to experience light spells at least for the next two days.
IMD has forecast, "the sky condition likely to be partly cloudy. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 32 C and 23 C," for the next 48 hours in the city.
For the rest of the state, the agency has forecast, "light rain in isolated areas over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal," for the next two days.
Weather blogger Pradeep John said the light spells are expected due to the easterlies converging close to the coast. Convergence leads to two prevailing wind flows meeting and interacting, leading to precipitation. "It will be scattered light rain. But the days will continue to be warm due to cloudy skies," he said.
States like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been experiencing rainfall followed by high daytime temperatures due to the confluence or convergence zone shifting southwards.
Since the last week of January, the city has been experiencing hot days and warm nights with temperatures going nearly 2 C above normal. On Saturday, Nungambakkam weather station recorded 31.8 C and Meenambakkam registered 32.2 C, which was 1.3 C and 1.5 C above normal. The night temperature is also edging closer to 24 C which is warmer than usual. Nights are colder in the southern suburbs as Meenambakkam recorded a minimum temperature of 22 C on Saturday, while Nungambakkam recorded a minimum temperature of 23.4 C. And the live temperature was 26.8 C, closer to 10pm. It was showing an upward trend on Saturday night. "After February 13, we can expect temperatures to drop by one or two degrees for about four or five days," John said.