City face uncomfortable hot day as mercury touches 40 degrees

Chennai:

Chennaites faced an ‘uncomfortable hot day’ on Wednesday as the mercury hovered over 40 degree Celsius due to the hot and dry North-westerly winds.

Speaking to Express, Stella, who is one of the directors of Regional Metrology Centre said that the temperature on Wednesday rose to three degree above normal due to hot and dry North Westerly wind. The observatory in Nungambakkam recorded a temperature of 40.1 degree Celsius.

Interestingly, this is not the hottest day of the season. The mercury had already crossed 40.6 on May 16, said Stella. Usually, the sea breeze sets in during the noon as such the temperature hovers around 37 degree during the season but today due to the hot and dry North-Westerly winds, the temperature rose by three degree above normal.

Meanwhile, the temperature is likely to hover around 40 in the next few days due to this phenomenon, she warned. “The city and its neighbourhood is likely to face uncomfortable and hot day in the next 48 hours due to the hot and dry North Westerly winds,” she added.

Interestingly, the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is facing heat wave conditions as the mercury shot five degreee above normal and was hovering over 40 degree Celsius in many places due to this phenomenon. “If the mercury shoots five degree above normal, then we term the condition as heat wave. Now, in Chennai it is only three degree above normal as such the day is termed as uncomfortable hot day,” she said.

Stella also said that the south-west monsoon is expected around June 3. The city may also get its first showers during next month, she predicted.