environment

Tamil Nadu Heatwave to Persist Till July 17, Relief Expected from Weekend

Published on: 15 Jul 2026, 07:06 PM

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast that abnormal heatwave conditions will continue over interior Tamil Nadu until July 17 due to a weak Southwest monsoon and El Niño effects. Rainfall is expected to improve from the second half of the week, providing relief.

On Wednesday, many interior parts of Tamil Nadu recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Vellore reported the highest at 41.6°C, while Madurai and Tiruttani also crossed 40°C. Chennai experienced a maximum of 39.4°C at Nungambakkam, the highest for July since 2019 when it reached 40.4°C on July 5. Meenambakkam recorded 40.1°C.

The RMC has issued a heatwave warning for isolated places in 19 interior and northern districts, including Vellore, Kancheepuram, Erode, Salem, and Madurai, for Thursday, with temperatures likely 2-4°C above normal. Seven districts, including Namakkal, Karur, and Madurai, may face heatwave conditions on Friday. Coastal areas will experience hot and humid weather until Friday.

V.R. Durai, Head of Regional Weather Forecasting Centre at RMC, explained that the weak Somali Jet—a low-level wind stream that brings moisture from the Arabian Sea—is expected to strengthen gradually from Friday, reviving monsoon conditions over the Southern Peninsular region. A weather system over the northwest Bay of Bengal will also support revival. Though the revival may be weak, it will improve cloud cover and rainfall from Friday, keeping temperatures in check.

Madurai has seen soaring July temperatures, and several other places experienced unusual heatwave conditions over three to four days, Durai added.

Source: The Hindu

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