Hottest summer in 10 years in Madurai

: Though peak summer is still a month away, the city has been experiencing the decade's hottest summer for the last 10 years, with the temperature touching 106 degree Farenheit (41.1 degree centigrade).
Such scorching temperatures has not been experienced in the last 10 years even before April-May, the official gazette said
Officials said the city had been experiencing more than 105 degree F from the second week of March. The temperature experiencednow was close to that during the "Agni Nakshathiram" (peak 28 day summer period in May).
The city recorded 106 F on Mar 23 and has been hovering around 105 F and 106 F.

A Pollution control Board official said the reason for the high temperatures could be destruction of hillocks by mining and axing of hundreds of trees for formation of four lane roads without planting trees to replace those which had been cut.