The onset of winter has commenced in several northern Indian states, bringing cooler temperatures and dry weather after a delayed monsoon withdrawal. Temperatures in Bengaluru and Hyderabad were also brought down this week, however IMD officials denied that these were early winter onsets. Winter has commenced in Maharashtra as Pune saw a dip in temperature below normal and Mumbai skirted the ‘October heat’ due to delayed monsoon withdrawal.
Meanwhile, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir have already seen the season’s first snowfall earlier this month. On the other hand, the north-east monsoon is expected to commence on Saturday, bring heavy showers over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Latest updates:
Air Quality Drops in Delhi-NCR as Winter Sets In
Delhi had the cleanest start to winter in years, with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday releasing an analysis of winter pollution in Delhi since 2015, finding that this October has had the cleanest start to the winter season with respect to PM 2.5 presence since the data was compiled. However, the Delhi-NCR region is now seeing a dip in air quality with the AQI index reflected being in the ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’ categories at most stations. The AQI at Anand Vihar station reached a whopping 456, while Ashok Vihar saw the index at 422 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, northern states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab have also seen a dip in temperature, ushering in the winter, as per weather agency Skymet. Minimum temperature across the region plunged below 20°C and the mercury during the day also was hovering around 30°C at most places. The The cascading may even spill over to the contiguous parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, it said.
Kedarnath, Yamunotri Doors Closed for Winter
The doors of Kedarnath and Yamunotri in Uttarakhand were closed on Thursday for winter. The doors of Gangotri dham, one of the famous temples of the Garhwal Himalayas known as Chardham, were closed on Wednesday, while the doors of Badrinath will be closed on November 19. The four temples remain closed for six months every year due to snowfall.
Drop in Air Quality in Kolkata
A drop in air quality is heralding the winter in Kolkata. The air quality was ‘poor’ at two locations in Kolkata on Friday and ‘moderate’ in five others, as per reports. An official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) said Friday was possibly the first day since last winter when none of the seven air quality monitoring stations of the board in the city reported ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ air quality, the Telegraph reported.
Cool Weather to Continue in Maharashtra
Cool and pleasant weather is likely to continue in Pune and parts of Maharashtra till the first few days of November, as per IMD officials. Day temperatures could be marginally below normal in most parts of the state from October 28-November 3, as per Times of India. KS Hosalikar, head, climate research and services, IMD, Pune, told TOI, “The lower-level winds in Madhya Maharashtra are easterly, because of which minimum temperatures in regions like Pune, Nashik and Satara, among others, have been nippy.
Meanwhile, Mumbai has managed to skirt the infamous ‘October heat’ due to the delayed monsoon withdrawal, and temperatures in the city dropped, heralding winter.
North-East Monsoon to Commence Today
Rains are expected to commence in southern states on Saturday, as per IMD, as North-east monsoon commences. A series of existing and prospective cyclonic circulations over the Bay of Bengal close to Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka is expected to herald the North-East monsoon over the South Peninsula.
Chennai has been receiving light rains as a prelude to the north-east monsoon, which is expected to set in today. Rains in Tamil Nadu are expected to intensify in November as per Skymet weather agency. Isolated heavy showers are expected over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Mahe and coastal Andhra Pradesh in the coming days, as well.
False Winter Alarm in Hyderabad, Bengaluru
Hyderabad earlier this week recorded a drop in temperature. The minimum temperatures have seen a sudden drop of 3-5 degrees in the early hours and on Wednesday, a weather forecast till November 30 predicted misty or hazy mornings and clear skies. However, winter has not set in, officially. Officials at the IMD’s Hyderabad centre say the drop in temperatures can be attributed to an ongoing transition period from southwest monsoon to northeast monsoon season. While Telangana will not receive any rain, winter is expected to set in the first week of november as per IMD officials in Indian Express.
Bengaluru too has witnessed a drop in temperature. On October 25, 2022, Bengaluru beat a decade’s record by logging a minimum temperature if 15.4 degree Celsius. On October 26, the city recorded a minimum of 15.5 degree Celsius. These are the lowest temperatures in October in the city since 2011, as per IMD. However, IMD officials have warned this is a false winter and not an early onset.
IMD Bengaluru Director-incharge Geeta Agnihotri confirmed it is not the onset of an early winter. This is a temporary phenomenon because of cyclone Sitrang, she said, as per The New Indian Express.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment