KOCHI: Temperature is rising and the heat is slowly becoming unbearable. All these are indicators of the coming summer season. And according to the climate experts, the mercury this summer will trump last year’s readings. Though temperature has been showing an upward swing in rest of the state, the climate has been relatively cooler, though very humid, in Kochi.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature this year is likely to go up. “Temperature has been on the rise in Kerala for the past ten years. This year also two of the three major cities recorded temperatures higher than or near to that in the previous year. The summer season begins on March 1. The highest temperature at Kozhikode in January was 36 degree Celsius last year. This year it has gone up to 35.49 degree Celsius. Thiruvananthapuram is also bearing the brunt of a spurt in temperature.
“Though temperature has gone up in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, it is comparatively low in Kochi when the average temperature recorded in January 2017 is tallied against the one recorded this year.
The temperature has fallen by two degrees in Kochi. But, city residents cannot heave a sigh of relief since the humidity has gone up in the city and this will continue to cause discomfort. The highest temperature recorded in Kochi during the past 10 years was in 2009 and 2013. It went up to 36.4 and 35.4 degrees respectively. This year in Januray, the highest temperature recorded is 32.4 against the 2017 value of 36.4 degree celsius,” said S Sudevan, director, IMD Thiruvananthapuram.
He said the summer rain, which acts to slightly bring down the temperature, can be expected by the middle of April. “A clear picture on the expected level of increase in temperature can be calculated only after analysing the data recorded in February. The study is expected to be completed by the end of this month. The general trend is undoubtedly an upward swing in temperature. It may be recalled we had a hot winter. The temperature was comparatively high during the winter,” he said.
Steps to conserve water
Shower Bucket. Instead of letting the water pour down the drain, stick a bucket under the faucet while you wait for your shower water to heat up. You can use the water for flushing the toilet or watering your plants.
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. Water comes out of the average faucet at 2.5 gallons per minute. Don’t let all that water go down the drain while you brush. Turn off the faucet after you wet your brush, and leave it off until it’s time to rinse.
Turn off the tap while washing your hands. Do you need the water to run while you’re scrubbing your hands? Save a few gallons of water and turn the faucet off after you wet your hands until you need to rinse.
Fix your leaks. Whether you go DIY or hire a plumber, fixing leaky faucets can mean big water saving