KOCHI: Unusual rain during the past two weeks and a cyclonic circulation over southeast Arabian Sea have led to a drop in night temperature in the state’s high ranges. As rain subsided and sky cleared, cold weather set in at Munnar on Sunday.
The hill station recorded a night temperature of 2 degrees Celsius on Sunday. The temperature dropped to 2 degrees at Silent Valley and Chundavurrai, 3 degrees at Sevenmallay and Upasi, 4 degrees at Madupatty and 5 degrees at Kanniamallay in Munnar on Sunday night. Kannan devan Hill Plantation authorities are expecting a frost fall in the next few days as temperature is set to drop below zero degree.
“The surface soil moisture is unusually high due to the enhanced rainfall which led to high evapotranspiration. This leads to increased heat loss from the earth surface. The latent heat loss brings night temperature to unusually low levels which we are experiencing at high ranges now,” said iMd former director S Sudevan. The temperature had touched zero degree in Munnar on december 26 before going up to 12 due to cloudy weather. it was hovering around 8 degrees last week. The temperature dropped to 10 degrees at Peermade and 12 degrees at Kumili.
Cyclonic circulation causes drop in night temp in state
The mercury dropped to 8 degrees Celsius at Kolahalamedu in Wagamon. Punalur in Kollam district recorded 15 degrees Celsius on January 13 and mercury gradually climbed to 18.5 degrees on Sunday. The night temperature had dropped below 20 degree Celsius at various parts of Thrissur, Idukki and Kottayam in the past week. The unusual rainfall during the past week was caused by a cyclonic circulation over southeast Arabian Sea.
The trough ran from this cyclonic circulation to Comorin area and extended up to 1.5km above mean level. The state has received 104.3mm rainfall from January 1 to 18 against the normal rainfall of 5.5mm. “Now the sky has become clear and the temperature is set to drop due to loss of heat from earth surface during night hours. The winter condition will normally prevail till February end,” said IMD scientist V K Mini