Rare rains likely

We are nearing the fag end of winter, and numerical weather models indicate a low-pressure area moving east to west below Sri Lanka, over the adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean, by February 28.

Due to the extension of a trough and a feeble interaction with a westerly trough over North India, this system is expected to bring fairly widespread rainfall across coastal and interior Tamil Nadu from the night of February 27 to March 1.

Areas south of Pondicherry have the best chances of rainfall, while Chennai and its surroundings may see light to moderate showers at scattered locations on March 1 due to moisture incursion. Some places in South and Central Tamil Nadu may also experience heavy spells of rain.

Temperatures Set to Rise

As we enter the last week of February, the seasonal transition from winter to summer is underway. Daytime and early morning temperatures are already increasing, and numerical weather models predict a further rise in the coming days.

North Tamil Nadu may see temperatures reaching 35-37°C from next week, while Chennai will experience daytime highs of 32-33°C and early morning lows of 25-26°C over the next week.