DUE to the impact of climate change, the winter season in Vidarbha this year witnessed a below-normal temperature trend, with a colder-than-usual winter, revealed India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday. While talking with The Hitavada, Pravin Kumar, Scientist C, Regional Meteorological Department (RMC), Nagpur stated that out of 60 days of winter this year, around 50 days marked the temperature below-normal. “Normally, the winter season in Vidarbha including Nagpur starts in December, however this year it made an early appearance in November. Most of the days in December and January months witnessed below normal temperature by 3-4 0C and some times it touched 6 0C which is abnormal for the region,” said Pravin Kumar.

 

This changed weather trend was mainly observed in Vidarbha including Nagpur district. Climate change is likely the main reason behind such long below-normal temperature in the region, said the senior meteorologist. In this winter, Nagpur witnessed the minimum temperature below 10.0 degrees Celsius for more than a week couple of times and the same trend was observed in other districts of Vidarbha also. The season was marked by persistently low minimum temperatures (nights) across Vidarbha, even this region that rarely see extreme cold, recorded colder-than-usual nights in this winter. The intense winter was attributed to the many reasons, which brings colder, as well as clear-sky radiative cooling and frequent cold, and dry winds from higher latitudes.

 

“During winter, low pressure area in Bay of Bengal (BoB) plays a major role to bring clouds in Vidarbha during winters. However, this year, no such low pressure area formed in BoB,” said the senior meteorologist. He further added that the weaker Western Disturbance (WD) in the region reduced the presence of clouds in the sky during most of the days of this winter season. “Nagpur city also witnessed minimum temperature below 10 0C for at a stretch seven days this winter and this trend was observed twice in the district which is also an unique behaviour of the weather,” said the meteorologist. “The pollutants were settled near the surface due to harsh winter this year which caused Air Quality Index (AQI) mostly moderate or poor during this winter,” claimed Pravin Kumar.