Deserted Lloyds Road during Kathiri Veyil

Next week temperatures in Chennai could hit 40 degrees centigrade, marking the start of the Tamil season of Kathiri Veyil, or the ‘Fire Star’. Also known in Sanskrit as Agni Natchathiram, this period marks the hottest time of the year in Chennai – where the daily maximum is almost consistently over 40C, and the nightly minimum rarely drops below 30C. Although not an officially set date, Kathiri is generally said to begin when the mercury first tops 40. It lasts, on average, about 25 days, and usually begins around the start of May.

During the weeks of Kathiri hospitals remain on alert for patients suffering from heatstroke, cramps and dehydration, as the city copes with the soaring temperatures. Nearly all educational institutions take holidays for the month of May, and during the hottest part of the day – from midday to 5pm – many shops take an unofficial siesta. Many shutters are closed up, some streets are deserted, and only essential

Deserted streets during an afternoon of Kathiri Veyil

services like supermarkets, banks and post continue to operate. On the other hand, the city’s facilities are overall less crowded, with some people take holidays to cooler climes and others choosing to stay inside to escape the intense heat. The regular periodic loss of electricity known as loadshedding becomes more prevalent at this time, as the already overloaded grid struggles to keep up with the demand of air conditioners working overtime.

Chennaikers flock to Marina Beach on a summer’s afternoon

If temperatures in Chennai seem hot, spare a thought for those further south and inland in Madurai, where temperatures have already been surpassing 40C on a daily basis since early April, and are expected to nudge 45C out of the shade during the next month. Millennia of experience have led to time honoured practices among Tamils, such as the consumption of cooling watermelon, coconut water, buttermilk and yogurt as a method by which to beat the heat. Chennai’s long Marina Beach also provides a space for the city’s resident’s to cool down after work, with lazy seabreezes rolling in off the Bay of Bengal.