Chennai: The city sizzled under heatwave conditions on Saturday, recording the hottest day of the year so far. Nungambakkam logged 39.2°C, around 4.7°C above normal, while Meenambakkam registered 39.7°C, about 4.1°C above normal. Experts attributed the spike in temperatures to the arrival of hot and dry northwesterly winds.
There may be some respite from the heat, as IMD has forecast light rain for Sunday in the city and suburbs. Maximum temperatures are expected to hover between 37°C and 38°C, with minimum temperatures around 27°C to 28°C. In the rest of the state, daytime temperatures may remain 2°C–3°C above normal in a few pockets until April 14. There is also a possibility of light to moderate rain, with thunderstorms and lightning, at isolated places across the state on Sunday.
On Saturday, Cuddalore too experienced heatwave conditions, recording 39.3°C, around 4.9°C above normal. Vellore reported the highest temperature at 40.1°C, around 2°C above normal, followed by Tiruttani at 40°C, approximately 3°C above normal.