THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s not even summer yet. But Keralites are already feeling the heat as average February temperatures are hovering between 35 and 38 degree Celsius (˚C). This, experts said, is much higher than previous years, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is yet to issue a warning.
Though not recorded officially by IMD-Kerala, the daily readings of the automatic weather stations (AWSs) showed temperatures soaring in many parts of the state. On Wednesday, the AWS at Erimayur in Palakkad recorded a maximum temperature of 41˚C, the highest in the state. A majority of locations recorded average maximum temperature above 38˚C.Experts also attributed the rise and drop in temperature during the day and night, respectively, to an anti-cyclonic circulation coming from northern side.
With many global meteorological models predicting El Nino in 2023, experts warned of extreme heat events and even variations in monsoon rainfall this year.
Peak summer likely from March 15 to April 15, warn weather experts
“The sun is slowly migrating, and summer will be at peak between March 15 and April 15 when sun rays fall vertically on Kerala,” said Abhilash S, associate professor, department of atmospheric sciences, Cusat.
It is predicted Kerala will receive isolated summer showers towards the end of February or beginning of March. However, the rain may not bring any respite as humidity will rise.
Abhilash said by March or April end there is a chance that El Nino conditions may evolve, triggering severe heatwave conditions. “This is likely to clash with monsoon. We have to come up with dynamic plans for water conservation. Our waterbodies have started drying up already,” he said.
IMD had first confirmed heatwave in Kerala in 2016. In view of the recurring extreme climatic events, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has installed around 100 AWSs to track and read weather conditions. However, a KSDMA official said IMD is not officially using the AWS data. “AWS readings are alarming. The temperature recorded is way higher than official readings of IMD,” alleged the KSDMA official.
However, Abhilash said AWS uses sensors to read temperature while IMD collects data from 12 authorised weather stations. “We need years of data to compare temperature. AWSs are new,” he said.
URBAN HEAT ISLAND
Experts say the cities in Kerala are hotter due to rapid urbanisation. This phenomenon is known as the urban heat island effect. They say humidity will rise and Kerala will experience more heat due to the effect