The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : For the city's residents, dog days are not over yet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 09, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

For the city's residents, dog days are not over yet

K. Lakshmi

Unannounced power shutdowns make life miserable for Chennaites The maximum temperature recorded at Nungambakkam on most days in the first week of June was between 40 and 41 degrees Celsius

CHENNAI: `Agni Nakshatram', a three-and-a-half week period of relentless heat may be over. But residents have not got a major respite from the scorching heat during the day.

A drizzle on Wednesday evening and night provided little relief to people who feel "roasted."

The maximum temperature recorded at Nungambakkam on most days in the first week of June was between 40 degrees Celsius and 41 degrees Celsius, according to readings of the Meteorological Department.

Adding to the residents' woes is the fact that the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board employees leave frequent power breakdowns unattended for hours. On Tuesday, there was a power breakdown in many areas from Villivakkam and Anna Nagar to Ashok Nagar, T.Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur, during the day as well as at night.

The Board officials have remained silent despite public criticism. Some of the Board staff say the problem of poor power distribution has been compounded by the strike by the contract labourers.

G. Leela of Anna Nagar said, "It is very difficult to stay without electricity in the scorching heat even during daytime. Most of us spend the night on the streets to escape the heat whenever there is a power blackout."

Why days are hotter

S. R. Ramanan, director of the Area Cyclone Warning Centre of the Meteorological Department, says the daily weather depends on the onset of the sea breeze, which usually sets in before noon.

The days tend to be hotter due to the delay in the onset of sea breeze. Sunday was `cooler' as sea breeze set in around 11 a.m. and the temperature came down to 37 degrees Celsius. Wednesday recorded a maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius at 1.30 p.m. due to the late setting in of the sea breeze. But it appeared to be less hot due to the cloud formation at noon, he added.

The normal maximum temperature is expected to be 37 degrees Celsius in June.

While the normal temperature would be around 38 degrees Celsius in early June, it would subside to 37 degrees Celsius after June 15.

The mercury touched 40 degrees Celsius in August last year.

Mr. Ramanan said that Tamil Nadu received one-third of its rainfall during the southwest monsoon months (June to September). The districts bordering the western ghats such as the Kanyakumari district receive rainfall as a spill-over effect of heavy showers in Kerala.

Chennai may expect rainfall any day in June according to the thunderstorm activity, he added.

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