The summer of 2013 hotter than 2012

The New Indian Express , Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Correspondent :
The past three months this year have been by far the hottest months Puneites have experienced, with mercury crossing the 40 degree Celsius mark more than once and the pre-monsoon showers almost giving the city a miss.

Monday brought a bit of relief but not before affecting several areas across the state, where drought wreaked havoc on both people's livelihood and water availability.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows that on five occasions, the temperature crossed the 40 degree mark. March, April and May scorched the land, with May 1 and 2 recording this year's highest temperature of 41.3. That also happens to be the month's highest temperature in the past two years.

The past two years' trend shows that mercury had not crossed the 40 degree mark in April in the past two years. But this year, it reached 40.8 degrees on April 29 and 30.

According to IMD, consistent heat waves from the northern part of the country was responsible for the increase in the city's temperature. It was a trend consistent with the rest of the country, with several states recording temperatures above 45 on more than one occasion.

Another significant cause for the rise in temperature this summer is a solar disturbance that struck the sub continent on the whole.

In spite of the two-year high temperature this summer, pre-monsoon showers were conspicuous by their absence. It rained only on two occasions, ie, on March 16 (0.2mm) and March 17 (2.6 mm). Although, there were repeated forecasts of pre-monsoon showers, none of them fructified for the city and its nearby areas.

The absence of pre-monsoon rains have by now become a permanent feature for the state, something that many have remarked to be a sign of climate change. The pre- and post-monsoon showers constituted for around 10-15 per cent of the rains received in the state and its absence had caused the average rainfall to go down. This has had effect on both the ground water level and agriculture.

Pre-monsoon rain arrive in city

With the monsoons crossing the Karvar region of northern Karnataka, it was time for some pleasant showers in Pune.

The pre-monsoon rain finally arrived in the city on Monday, bringing down the temperature and offering much respite from the scorching summer heat. Pune recorded 7.2mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting more rains in the days to come.

According to IMD's Deputy Director General (DDG) Medha Kole, the present climatic conditions suggest that the monsoons would enter the state within the next two to three days.

The southwest monsoon has further advanced to some parts of central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of coastal Karnataka, parts of north interior Karnataka, most parts of south interior Karnataka, some parts of Rayalaseema, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu and more parts of Bay of Bengal.

The IMD has predicted that the monsoons would be entering Goa, Konkan, central Maharashtra and parts of interior Karnataka within the next 48 hours.

Pune witnessed incessant rainfall from Sunday night, with particularly heavy rainfall on Monday evening. Thundershowers, accompanied by lightning, was also witnessed in parts of the city on Monday. This brought the maximum temperature down from 38 to 36 degrees. The minimum temperature also dipped to 22.7 degrees from 25 degrees Celsius.

According to IMD's forecast, the city would continue to be lashed by thundershowers for the next 48 hours.

 
SOURCE : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-summer-of-2013-hotter-than-2012/1124646/2
 


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