THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The average maximum temperature in the state for January has crossed 35 degrees Celsius for the first time in recent history. According to official data, which excludes the recordings of Automatic Weather Stations, this month’s average maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius is significantly higher than the 32.7 degrees Celsius recorded last year.
The day temperature has seen a sudden increase as the effect of cooler weather, which would normally linger till the very end of January, is disappearing faster than expected. Over the past few days, the minimum temperature too has risen from single digit numbers to double digit. The weather has turned hotter at a time when the northern parts of the country are experiencing severe cold.
“Unprecedented temperatures have been reported from different districts, from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram. There has been a sudden increase over the past two days as the dry spell has extended,” said Rajeevan Erikkulam, a meteorologist with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. The day temperature is expected to rise though the presence of isolated rain could make a difference locally. The average temperature recorded in various districts are in the range of 37.7 degrees Celsius and 29.5 degrees Celsius, he said.
The cooler weather in Kerala is limited to a few weeks around the first week of January. The change has become a concern for the hospitality sector which sees demand peaking during the time at hill stations.
This January, the minimum temperature recorded is around 3.5 degrees Celsius. A record rainfall this month resulted in increasing the minimum temperature in the first two weeks. The weather is influenced primarily by the movement of the sun from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere.