Strong hailstorms hit many parts of Vellore and Tirupattur districts on Thursday, bringing respite from the searing heat in the region since early April.
Meteorologists at the Vellore Observatory of India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the formation of cumulonimbus clouds, due to the intense heat for several weeks, was the reason for the sudden hailstorm in the town. “Such hailstorms occur mainly inland as they are far away from sea breeze that eases extreme heat. These clouds are formed suddenly and cover only a small portion of area in terms of distance,” N.A. Nehru Raj, Meteorologist ‘A’, Vellore Observatory, told The Hindu.
In the Vellore district, areas like Gudiyatham, Pernambut and Pallikonda, which were experiencing temperatures of over 40 degree Celsius for the past few weeks, received strong hailstorms on Thursday. Few remote villages bordering Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in Vellore, like Bungalamedu, Vettavalam and Valathur received strong hailstorms. Many people shared pictures, holding ice crystals in their hands, on social media.
In the Tirupattur district, big towns like Vaniyambadi, Ambur and Alangayam and some adjoining villages received good rainfall from 4 p.m. onwards. On Thursday, the daily temperature of the district was recorded at 43.6 degree Celsius by the Vellore Observatory at the Collectorate before a hailstorm hit Vellore and Tirupattur districts, especially in the border villages and towns.
Residents in Katpadi, Sathuvachari on the Chennai - Bengaluru Highway, Old Town, and Thorapadi near Central Prison witnessed cloudy skies with mild rainfall.
Meteorologists said that Thursday’s hailstorm was, on average, around 30 kmph, resulting in frequent thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and strong winds. As per the study, they said that cumulonimbus clouds are formed mainly due to intense heat of over 37.8 degrees Celsius for many days in a particular area. Such clouds are formed within hours, depending on the extent of heat experienced by the locality prior to them.
At present, the Vellore Observatory records weather forecasts and updates for a radius of around 100 km, covering Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupattur, and Krishnagiri districts.
