CHENNAI: After temperatures shot up to 2°C in the city and the suburbs for two days including touching the highest maximum temperature in Nungambakkam on Sunday with 35.1°C for the month of March, weathermen said the scorching temperatures are likely to continue to remain the same for the coming days due to the incoming dry easterly winds causing low humidity. Private forecasters and bloggers said the weather may change for the good by mid-next week as there are chances of some rain in Chennai and suburbs when pre-monsoon showers may begin over many parts of the state.
For the next 48 hours, the city and the suburbs are likely to experience a maximum temperature of around 35°C and a minimum of around 24°C with clear skies.
On Tuesday, the city recorded 32.3°C, around 0.3°C below normal at Nungamakkam and 33.5°C, around 0.2°C above normal. This was comparatively lower than the previous two days when mercury shot by more than 2°C. On Sunday, temperatures shot up in Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam stations with a maximum of 35.1°C, which has been the highest so far this month, and 35.7°C. They were 2.5°C and 2.4°C above normal. This continued Monday with 33.6°C and 35.5°C in the two stations, with 1°C and 2.2°C above normal.
IMD officials said temperatures dropping and increasing by one or two degrees was climatologically normal for the month of March and the next few days would continue to be the same- dry, hot and glaringly bright mornings and warm nights.
Private forecasters said a trough extending from Kerala to interior Maharashtra, which is expected to intensify, is likely to kickstart pre-monsoon showers in the southern peninsula between March 21 and 24. “On March 23 or 24, Chennai has chances of rain due to moisture incursion from the Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal,” said Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist, Skymet Weather. Blogger Pradeep John too said weather models indicate some spells towards the end of the month. “But we have to wait and watch,” he said.