CHENNAI: Rain skipped Chennai in the last few days but on Monday many parts of the southern city suburbs received light spells which was followed by thunderstorms in the city’s core localities later in the night.
While IMD has forecast light rain over the city in the next two days, private forecasters and bloggers said day temperatures could also go up to 39°C during this week.
But the mercury may not breach the 40°C mark as of now.
IMD has forecast light rain likely over some areas in the city and the suburbs in the next 48 hours.
Maximum and minimum temperatures to be around 36°C and 29°C as the sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy.
While day temperatures had been 36°C or below in the last few days, Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam weather stations recorded 37.1°C and 39°C on Monday though most part of the day had been cloudy.
“The temperature rise is due to the incoming dry northwesterly winds and the cloudy skies is due to the incoming seabreeze in the afternoon.
There are chances of convective rainfall,” an official said.
Blogger Pradeep John said the city would experience temperatures rise for the next three or four days till monsoon winds gain pace.
While the city did not have favourable winds that could push rain clouds and convection closer to the city in the last few days, they may happen prior to the formation of a low pressure over the Bay by June 11.
“Once winds change to southwesterlies, our day temperature may once again drop to around 36 deg C and again entry of seabreeze would lead to cloudiness,” he said.
On Monday evening, localities in southern suburbs like Madipakkam, Tambaram, Perungalathur and Vandalur and city areas like Kodambakkam and Mylapore received rain.
Core localities in and around Nungambakkam, Choolaimedu and Aminjikarai received thunderstorms late at night.
As of 11.30pm, rain gauges at Anna University registered 47.0 mm, Taramani recorded 24.5 mm and YMCA Nandanam 48.5 mm.