Shade of hope: Weathermen forecast a subdued heat spell

Chennai: Khatri is here. For those familiar with Chennai's heat, it is a word that causes a shudder. However, the weatherman is a bearer of good tidings this season: Agni Nakshatram or khatri -regarded the hottest spell during summer according to the Hindu almanac -will be subdued this year.
According to the Hindu calendar, khatri will start on Wednesday and end on May 28.Met officials and experts say the mercury level is unlikely to go up dramatically for the next two weeks as sea breeze has been coming to the city's rescue.
While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued heat wave warnings in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, the temperatures in coastal Tamil Nadu has remained below 40ºCelsius. In Chennai, the maximum temperature touched 36.1ºCelsius during the day , and the minimum recorded was 29.4ºC. Although the weather made people feel ill at ease, the temperature in Chennai was, in fact, lower compared to other metros. Beng a l u r u re c o rd e d around 37ºC. While people there looked to the skies for signs of rain, in Chennai it was the sea which provided respite.
“The wind pat tern has been favourable. The dry westerlies have not been firm, while the sea breeze has been setting in as early as 11am,“ said weather blogger Pradeep John. The effect of the sea breeze, which blows at an average speed of about 15kmph, can be felt up to 70km-80km inland. The Met department has also forecast isolated rain in interior districts, which is likely to bring down temperatures. Humidity levels will continue to be high.
The highest maximum tempera ture in Chennai in May was recorded in 2003 when the mercury touched 45ºC. Weather experts and bloggers have observed a slight decrease in May temperatures based crease in May temperatures based on data over the past decade. While the Met department's data may show a marginal rise in temperature, peo ple outdoors have a different story to tell. “Travelling on a bike during the day was tough last week. It did not help to know that it was not even the peak,“ said K Shanmugam, of Arumbakkam, who commutes to work on his two-wheeler every day .