EnvironmentSunday, 14 June 2026·The Hindu - Environment
Tamil Nadu Heat Action Plan 2026: RMC flags 42.5°C Vellore peak, heat stress and UHI risk
Tamil Nadu’s Heat Action Plan 2026 comes amid May 2026 heat stress, with Vellore touching 42.5°C and Chennai facing humidity-driven discomfort.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In May 2026, Tamil Nadu faced prolonged heat stress, and the State rolled out its Heat Action Plan 2026 while the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) reported Vellore’s season-high temperature of 42.5°C on May 22.
Key specifics
- Heat Action Plan 2026 includes local heat vulnerability mapping and early warning systems.
- RMC said May 2026 was among the hotter recent Mays in Tamil Nadu.
- Vellore recorded 42.5°C on May 22, 2026, the season’s highest temperature.
- Interior districts such as Salem, Erode, Tiruchi and Madurai saw repeated 40°C spells.
- Chennai Metropolitan Area faces high humidity and urban heat island (UHI) effect, making 37°C feel more stressful.
Exam lens
Environment and climate-change MCQ focus: Heat Action Plan 2026, RMC, UHI effect, humidity versus dry heat, Vellore 42.5°C on May 22, 2026. TNPSC may ask which district recorded the highest temperature or why coastal Chennai feels hotter.