Andhra Pradesh deluge worries climate change experts

The Times of India , Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Correspondent : Bappa Majumdar
HYDERABAD: More than 50 per cent additional rainfall than forecasted across Rayalaseema and rest of South India over the past two weeks, have got the scientific community worried about major climate changes occurring in the region.

While the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted 12 percent above normal rainfall in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh this November, they were completely flummoxed, when the region was lashed with more than half of entire year's rainfall in just four days.

The rains were triggered by the Northeast monsoon and a cyclonic system over Tamil Nadu. But what has flummoxed climate change experts more is barely any rain for Anantapur and Kurnool.

Both regions received bare minimum rainfall, which is completely opposite to previous years, when the northeast monsoon comes as a blessing to lakhs of farmers in those parts.

So while vast swathes of Kharif crop were completely destroyed by the rains and flooding, drought-like scenario prevailed in two major Rayalaseema districts.

New Delhi has assessed that nearly 35,000 people in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were evacuated to higher grounds, while 70 people died in both states.

Searching for answers, noted climatologists hold El Nino responsible for the excessive rainfall this northeast monsoon season.

El Nino is a weather phenomenon, which occurs when warm water from the Pacific Ocean flows eastwards, and has systematic effect in global weather pattern. It cause dry summers but heavy winter rains. Scientists say in every El Nino year, the southwest monsoon, a lifeline for millions of farmers in India, weakens, but brings more than 12 percent additional rain during the northeast monsoon.

While climatologists debate over the exact reasons behind the additional 50 percent rains that was not accounted for during the monsoon prediction, Met experts call for elaborate studies into weather patterns in the last few years to understand and analyse the changes in weather pattern.

While hail storms and rains followed by drought destroyed cultivated lands in several states this year, landslides and floods wreaked a havoc in Uttarakhand, killing more than 1000 people. Last year, a massive cyclone ravaged the southern city of Visakhapatnam, which top weather experts couldn't assess. Such has been the level of devastation that the beaches of the Port city has been completely damaged, with authorities still struggling to restore them.

Back home, two years of continuous drought had spelt doom for farmers in arid Rayalaseema anyway. Many were looking up to the northeast monsoon as a bailout, but the depression and haywire rain pattern has put paid to their hopes this year.

Analysing the weather patterns, the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore say that the frequency of unusual weather pattern was likely to only increase with less rainfall days but more amount of rainfall when it does rain.

Now scientists are calling for detailed study to find out the strong changes in weather patterns and prepare accordingly.

While Met experts are calling for newer equipment to minimize mistakes in forecasting weather reports, others are saying that each state must appoint a special weather-watch panel to inform the government in advance about impending dangers and act accordingly.

The government should realize the importance of special climate panel advisors, working closely with local government in view of the unanimous understanding by the scientific community that extreme weather conditions happening in the country perfectly matches the global changes in weather patterns.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Andhra-Pradesh-deluge-worries-climate-change-experts/articleshow/49893051.cms
 


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