Chennai Heat: City Faces Unusual Evening Heat With Temperature Near 41°C at 5.30 PM

Chennai Heat: Chennai witnessed one of its hottest days of the season as temperatures soared to 42°C. Weak sea breeze and hot winds from Andhra Pradesh kept the city unbearably warm even after sunset

Image Credit : Getty

Hot Winds From Andhra Pradesh Fuel Chennai’s Heat

Chennai’s intense heat spell has been linked to strong westerly winds carrying hot and dry air from the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. The neighbouring region has already been experiencing severe heatwave conditions, with temperatures crossing 44°C in several places.

According to Regional Meteorological Centre officials, these continental winds disrupted Chennai’s usual coastal cooling system. Normally, sea breeze helps lower temperatures by late afternoon, but this time the incoming hot air overpowered the cooling effect across north Tamil Nadu.

As a result, Nungambakkam recorded 40.7°C, while Meenambakkam touched a scorching 42°C, making it the hottest day of the summer season so far.

Image Credit : Gemini AI

Chennai Remained Unusually Hot Even in the Evening

What made this heat spell stand out was not just the daytime temperature but the lack of cooling during the evening hours. Even at 5.30 pm, Meenambakkam continued to record temperatures close to 41°C, something rarely seen in a coastal city like Chennai.

Weather observers noted that the sea breeze arrived much later than usual and remained weak throughout the day. In several parts of the city, hot south-southwesterly winds continued to dominate until evening.

A personal weather station in Padi showed temperatures remaining above 37°C even after 6 pm, highlighting how slowly the atmosphere was cooling. Experts say such prolonged heat retention is uncommon for Chennai and signals an unusually intense weather pattern.

Image Credit : Getty

Relief May Take Time as Heat Likely to Continue

Meteorologists believe the current conditions may persist for at least another week. Significant relief is expected only after the southwest monsoon begins over Kerala, which is likely around May 26.

The arrival of the monsoon could improve moisture flow and strengthen sea breeze activity along the Tamil Nadu coast. However, weather experts warn that if the monsoon onset remains weak, Chennai may continue to experience high temperatures and uncomfortable humidity for a longer period.

Residents have been advised to stay hydrated, avoid direct exposure to the sun during peak afternoon hours, and take precautions against heat-related illnesses as the city battles the ongoing summer spell.