Meenambakkam records 40.5 degrees Celsius as Chennai temperatures soar

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has reported that temperatures in Chennai soared on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, with the weather station in Meenambakkam recording a sizzling temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius. The sudden spike in heat marks a return to intense conditions for the city after a brief period where temperatures had hovered near normal.

According to the meteorological department, the searing heat is highly likely to continue on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, before any relief arrives. However, the RMC has forecast that some parts of Chennai may receive light rain on Wednesday. This rainfall is expected to help the intense heat subside after Thursday, June 18, 2026.

The rise in mercury was not limited to Chennai alone, as many weather stations across the state of Tamil Nadu experienced above-normal temperatures on Tuesday. Within the city, the heat was particularly intense in the Meenambakkam area. The temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius recorded there on Tuesday marked the second consecutive day that the station registered that specific sizzling temperature.

Another prominent weather station in the city, Nungambakkam, followed closely behind, recording a high temperature of 39.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

The RMC explained that the primary cause behind the rising temperatures is the behaviour of the winds. The easterlies have continued to remain subdued over the region, which has prevented the cooling of the land and allowed the searing heat to build up over Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. Due to these subdued easterlies, the city is expected to endure another day of high temperatures on Wednesday.

Despite the immediate outlook of high heat, weather officials expect temperatures to stabilise across Tamil Nadu after June 18, 2026, bringing an end to the current sizzling spell.