Chennai Facts and Figures

Useful information about Chennai

Population: 6.4 million

State: Tamil Nadu

Area: 174 sq. kms.

Geographical Location:

Latitudinal parallels: 13th north parallel.
Longitudinal meridians: 80-degree longitude

Climate:

                   Max.    Min.

Summer    37ºC    21.10ºC
Winter       32ºC    19.81ºC

Rainfall: 1,272 mm

Monsoon: The Chennai monsoon period is from October to mid-December.

Weather: The weather is uniformly hot and humid. May is the hottest season with the mercury sometimes touching 42 C and the mean temperature about 33 C. December and January are the coolest months with a mean temperature of 24 C. However, the cool sea breeze makes even the warmest of evenings bearable. Venturing out in between noon and 3 PM during April-August is best avoided. November to February is the pleasant months.

Season: Tropical throughout the year.

Altitude: 60 m above sea level

Topography: This seaside city appears even more sprawling than it is, because of its low skyline. The Cooum River, the Adyar River and the Buckingham canal flow through Chennai.

Regional Language: Tamil, English, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam are widely spoken and understood.