Indian Thought Latest News & Views
New Delhi: While the northern parts of the country experienced severe cold in the last 10 days of January, now it’s February’s turn. According to the latest update from the Meteorological Department ( IMD) , not only is rainfall expected to be low in February, but minimum and maximum temperatures are also expected to be above normal.
Rainfall Below Normal
IMD Director General Mrityunjay Mahapatra said in a press conference that rainfall across the country in February is expected to be below normal, and both minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to be above normal. He said, “Crops like wheat and barley may face premature ripening, which will result in grains not forming in the ears, light grains, and reduced yields.”
Impact of Climate Change!
Mahapatra said that rainfall in northwestern India (including eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh) is expected to be below normal in February. He directly linked this dry weather to climate change. He said that the absence of a Western Disturbance for most of December and January resulted in dry winter conditions in the Western Himalayan region, where snowfall occurred only after January 20.
Declining Rainfall Trend in the Western Himalayas
He said, “Over time, a decreasing trend in rainfall has been observed in the Western Himalayas, which has been attributed to climate change in studies conducted by the IMD and other institutions.” However, he added that it is difficult to pinpoint which specific aspect of climate change is responsible for the decrease in rainfall in the Western Himalayan region.
He said that two consecutive Western Disturbances brought rainfall to the western parts of the country. In January, a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal deprived the eastern parts of the country, except the northeastern region.
Temperatures are expected to be above normal.
Mahapatra said that minimum temperatures in February are expected to be above normal across most parts of the country, except for some areas in South India, where minimum temperatures are expected to be normal. Similarly, maximum temperatures are also expected to be above normal across most parts of the country. However, maximum temperatures are expected to be above normal in some remote areas of Central India and in Southern India.
