Heat Wave Alerts Issued as Monsoon Lags Behind in Southern States

The ongoing weakness in the southwest monsoon has forced the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai to declare a heat‑wave alert for several interior districts of Tamil Nadu, along with select zones in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The alert follows a period of unusually clear skies, which has allowed solar radiation to raise surface temperatures well above normal levels.

Scientists point to a combination of a feeble low‑level jet over the Arabian Sea and emerging Pacific temperature anomalies as key contributors to the current dryness. These conditions also suppress upward air movement, limiting cloud development.

While the present situation is uncomfortable, the latest weather model runs show signs of the jet recovering after mid‑July. A resurgence of the monsoon circulation is expected to bring cloud cover and rainfall, which should gradually mitigate the heat‑wave conditions.