The gateway to south India, Chennai famous for its beaches, historical, traditional Tanjavore paintings and ‘sambhar’, and infamous for its scorching summers when the temperatures easily rises to more than 40⁰C. The high degree of heat and humidity are the characteristics of the Chennai weather in India. Mahesh Palawat, Head of the Forecasting team at Skymet Weather informs that the highest temperature witnessed so far in Chennai in the summers has been 42⁰C, indicating that this weather of Chennai in 2012 was a record breaking.
Effects of global warming are no more new and unheard off. The frequent changes in the weather of Chennai and all the other cities of India has been raising concerns for many scientists, researchers, weather forecasters, historians and even the common man. Weather forecasters say, rising temperatures in the summer season are common but to this extent and this rapidly is pretty alarming. Veena Reddy, born and brought up in Chennai, shares her experience of the weather of Chennai in the summers. “Chennai summers are that time of the year when we groan each morning and the searing heat scorches our bodies and mind”. This painfully hot weather in Chennai brings other woes too as tempers run high, sweat pours down in little irritating rivulets and erratic power supply and frequent power cut test the patience of of everyone. Summer weather in Chennai is clearly a phenomenon. Love it or hate it, but you can’t ignore it!
As people avoid going out during the day, in the evening the weather in Chennai becomes relatively pleasant. Beaches get crowded and people come to enjoy the cool sea breeze as temperature drops to mid-twenties (22⁰C to 25⁰C). But the summer season in Chennai has its benefits too. It heralds luscious mangoes and juicy watermelons and easy working hours and holidays for schools and colleges. Besides, there are two things that sell the most, Cotton and coconut water!
But the people may not be this patient or optimistic forever as temperatures are only expected to rise in the coming years. Data collected by Regional Meteorological Office (RMC) revealed that from 1906 to 2009 there has been a significant rise in the average temperature in the city during the summers. The RMC analyzed weather of Chennai by studying the months of March, April, May and June and the temperature variation chart showed an increase of 1.8⁰C in the mean temperature in March, meaning that the average temperature of 32.2⁰C in March 1906 had risen to 34⁰C till 2010. Forecasters also say that the coastal cities of the world will not only be the first to face the brunt of the changing global situation but will also face the worst.
Photo by ruffin_ready.
