NEW DELHI: With temperatures dropping below normal over many parts of Northwest, bringing a sudden nip in the air, meteorologists are suspecting a “harsher/colder and an extended winter” this season due to various reasons-local/regional apart from prevailing La Nina conditions.
The national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 10.8 degree Celsius on Monday, the lowest this season so far. Normally in the first week of November the Safdarjung Observatory records a minimum of 14 to 16 degrees Celsius
The mercury dips to 11-12 degrees Celsius by the last week of November, according to IMD officials.
In fact IMD says that temperatures remained “appreciably below normal (-3.1°C to – 5.0°C) at places over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad and below normal (-1.6°C to -3.0°C) over West Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi in the past 24 hours with Hisar recording the lowest minimum temperature of 8.9 degree Celsius.
As per Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather, November 1 was the coldest in past 10 years in the Capital and that similar conditions are also prevailing in adjoining regions. Predicting a “harsher and extended winter this season” he says there are three main reasons for early drop in the temperatures this year. They include dry weather, lesser/weaker Western Disturbances and clear skies.
Generally clouds trap outgoing infrared radiation, radiating it back downward and warming the ground.
“There has not been much snowfall in the hills as most of the WDs have been feeble. Around Diwali a strong WD is expected to bring snow to hills, which will result in a drop in temperatures. Also this is a La Nina year and La Nina conditions coincide with extended winter,” says Palawat
IMD Director General Mrityunjaya Mohapatra adds that “generally during a La Nina year temperatures remain low but a lot also depends upon regional factors, winds, etc. The IMD will be issuing a detailed weather forecast for the season later this month,” he says.
El Nino and La Nina conditions play important role in not just the June-September Southwest Monsoon season but weather conditions in other months of the year. La Nina conditions are considered favourable for cold wave condition while El Nino conditions are unfavourable for it, meteorologists say.