![]() This suggests that The Great Chennai Freeze most likely never happened instead, it was a product of hearsay amongst mariners in the harbour and other witnesses.īased on scientific analysis by Dr Chenoweth, one possibility is that a likely La Niña episode combined with the volcanic eruption reduced mercury levels across the globe to some extent.Īs for why this was exaggerated to be called a ‘freeze’, it might have something to do with the Chennaites' particular inclination for dramatics - remember when ‘ Chennai snow’ began trending on Twitter last year because the IMD recorded a nighttime temperature of 22☌? The approximate corresponding dry temperature that we all know of today should have been around 30-40☌ depending on the humidity that prevailed in Madras at the time, the COMK stated. And hourly temperature observations from March and April 1815 showed that temperatures during that period were pretty much normal for that time of the year. The weather bloggers, who specialise in Chennai weather, dug out the meticulously maintained meteorological observations by John Goldingham - the first official astronomer of Madras Observatory. Separating facts from fictionĬhennaiyil Oru Mazhaikkaalam (COMK), which translates to Rainy Season in Chennai, was quick to point out that neither the book that the report was based on, nor the actual report had backed their claims with real temperature data. But like us, many weren’t entirely sold on the whole Madras being frozen drivel, and it was subsequently scrutinised by the amateur weather bloggers of COMK. Sounds pretty legit, doesn’t it? We almost believed it too. The book Tambora: The Eruption That Changed the World, which the newspaper heavily relied on for its story, suggested that trade winds carried the resulting dust veil to the Indian Ocean within days.Īnd two weeks after the volcanic eruption, Madras was probably the first to feel the chill thanks to the aerosols produced in the volcanic eruption, which absorb heat from the Sun and the Earth. The reported death toll in the immediate vicinity ranges from 10,000-100,000. And on April 10, 1815, lava burst forth from it with such ferocity that the explosion, heard 2,000 km away, likely killed thousands. While this may sound like hogwash, readers gobbled up the idea of The Great Chennai Freeze, especially since the famed newspaper backed the outlandish claims with evidence of a volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in distant Indonesia.Īccording to The Hindu, this Mount Tambora was the tallest peak in the archipelago, rising to 4,300 m. ![]() Today marks the 208th year anniversary of modern-day Chennai recording a temperature of -3☌ and witnessing snowfall - or so we’ve been led to believe.įor the unversed, in 2015, The Hindu published a report stating that 200 years ago, Madras recorded a morning temperature of 11☌ on April 24, and it subsequently plummeted to -3☌ by Friday, April 28! But there is a point to this hang in there. If you’re reading this article sitting under the scorching sun somewhere in Chennai as sweat trickles down your forehead, the title will probably make you wistfully scoff at the ridiculousness of it all.
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