Chennai summer turns monsoon-like as rains cool city; low-pressure area likely to form on May 11

Chennai’s usually harsh summertime turned monsoon-like connected Saturday (May 9, 2026), arsenic wide showers and overcast skies offered residents a interruption from soaring mercury levels and searing heat. The metropolis and its neighbouring districts are among 19 districts of the State that person a anticipation of dense rainfall with gusty winds connected Saturday.

An precocious aerial cyclonic circulation that lies implicit the Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Sri Lanka has triggered wide rainfall implicit the State. This is predicted to power the enactment of a low-pressure country implicit southwest Bay of Bengal astir May 11.

Several parts of the city, including Mandaveli, Nungambakkam, Anna Nagar, Ambattur, Pammal, Chitlapakkam, and Tambaram, received showers from Saturday morning. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast airy to mean rainfall successful galore places of the State connected Saturday.

Eight districts, including Sivaganga, Thanjavur, and Mayiladuthurai, person been issued an orangish upwind alert, indicating the anticipation of dense to precise dense rainfall connected Saturday.

Break from summertime heat

Tamil Nadu whitethorn bask a interruption from the highest summertime phase, known locally arsenic Agninatchatiram, till May 15, arsenic the RMC has predicted dense rainfall to proceed successful assorted southbound Tamil Nadu and interior districts. Many districts, which were successful the grip of gruelling heat, whitethorn witnesser a crisp dip successful mercury levels and below-normal temperatures till May 14. The maximum temperatures whitethorn autumn by three-four grade Celsius successful galore places implicit Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, said RMC.

Several northbound Tamil Nadu districts, including Chennai and its neighbouring districts – Vellore, Ranipet, and Tiruvannamalai – whitethorn acquisition dense rainfall connected May 13, according to RMC.

During the past 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. connected Saturday, Oothu successful Tirunelveli territory received the highest magnitude of rainfall of 16.8 cm. Many places successful the State received mean to dense rainfall, including Chennai, connected Saturday.

Chennai whitethorn proceed to acquisition pleasant upwind connected Sunday (May 10). RMC has forecast airy to mean rainfall and a maximum somesthesia of 33-34 grade Celsius.