Tamil Nadu Weather: Voters Brave Heatwave As 17 Districts See Hottest Day Of The Year

17 districts in Tamil Nadu registered its hottest day of the year in Tamil Nadu on April 19, on the election day in the state, according to the Regional Meteorological Data.

Temperatures soared to staggering levels, with Erode and Vaniyambadi both reaching a scorching 43°C. Other areas such as Sandhiyur, West Tambaram, and Namakkal closely followed, recording temperatures above 42°C. The heatwave affected various parts of the state, including Vellore, Kallakuruchi, Mettur, Kanchipuram, Tiruppur, Karur, Arani, Trichy, Salem, Tiruttani, Dharmapuri, and Madurai, all registering temperatures exceeding 41°C.

Braving weather, voters turned up to the polling booth and cast their votes as the state recorded a voter turnout of 72.09 per cent in the Lok Sabha polls held in a single phase on Friday with no major untoward incidents. In the 2019 LS polls, Tamil Nadu registered 72.44 per cent polling. While Kallakurichi in northern Tamil Nadu saw the highest voting percentage of 75.67 per cent, Central Chennai recorded 67.35, the lowest.

In the interior regions of Tamil Nadu, temperatures ranged from 38°C to 40°C on the voting day. Coastal areas, including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, experienced slightly lower temperatures, ranging from 35°C to 39°C.

Hilly areas saw milder temperatures, typically between 24°C to 30°C, which were above normal for this time of year. Chennai observed temperatures within the normal to above-normal range, with maximum temperatures reaching 38.1°C in the Mylapore area, marking a 2.1°C increase, and 35.8°C in the Nungambakkam area, representing a 1.0°C rise above the average.

• Erode: 43°C
• Vaniyambadi: 43°C
• Sandhiyur: 42.4°C
• West Tambaram: 42.3°C
• Namakkal: 42°C
• Vellore: 41.9°C
• Kallakuruchi: 41.9°C
• Mettur: 41.7°C
• Kanchipuram: 41.7°C
• Tiruppur: 41.5°C
• Karur: 41.5°C
• Arani: 41.3°C
• Trichy: 41.3°C
• Salem: 41.2°C
• Tiruttani: 41.2°C
• Dharmapuri: 41°C
• Madurai: 41°C

Tamil Nadu Latest Weather

However, the heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail at isolated pockets over North interior Tamil Nadu on Sunday.

The Interior districts include Madurai, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar and Dindugul make sub- region II. The districts Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Erode, Nilgiris and Coimbatore make Sub-region III and the districts Chennai, Kanchipuram, Vellore and Thiruvallur form Sub-region IV.

However, some regions will get respite from rain today as per the IMD. "Light to Moderate rain is likely to occur at one or two places over the Western Ghats and adjoining districts of Tamil Nadu. Dry weather is very likely to prevail over the rest of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area," the RMD said.