HYDERABAD: Abnormalities are being observed in this year’s pre-monsoon season, as extremely high temperatures are being recorded in the State at many places for prolonged periods, without any break.
Speaking to Express, the head of forecasting division at India Meteorological Department (IMD) - Hyderabad, Dr Nagaratna, said that the period before monsoon, especially from March to May, is marked by days recording very high temperatures along with prevailing heatwave conditions. However, this period is also marked with thunderstorms and rains, which bring down the temperatures, providing a temporary relief from the scorching heat.
Dr Nagaratna said, “This year the temperatures have remained above normal in the State for prolonged periods. This may be due to a lack of significant thunderstorms. For the last 15 days, maximum temperatures in many pockets of Telangana have been recorded at 43 degree Celsius or above. A similar situation existed in the month of April when many places recorded temperatures above 40 degree Celsius for prolonged periods.”
Such weather conditions of prolonged hot days without any temporary decrease in mercury levels had last existed in 2015 when heatwaves led to the death of close to 2,500 people in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
It has been over two weeks since the IMD has issued daily forecasts of heatwave conditions prevailing in isolated places across the State. This year the State has already experienced more than 21 heatwave days -- six in the month of April and rest in May. On Sunday, the IMD extended a heatwave warning for four more days till May 30 and said that the forecast might extended for more days to come.
When contacted, a meteorologist at the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), YV Rama Rao, said that two weather phenomenon -- Easterly trade winds and the Western Disturbances -- bring moisture into the State. They aid in formation of clouds which bring thunderstorms. However, due to disturbances in these phenomenon, there is an impact on the moisture levels, hampering the thunderstorm activity in the State, resulting in prolonged hot days.
When asked if this is related to the threat of climate change, he said, “While climate change is expected to be a factor behind occurrences of extreme weather events, there have been no studies to clearly emphasise such localised effects as an impact of the larger phenomenon of climate change.”