Four of the top five warmest Octobers since 1901 occurred in the last decade: 2024, 2017, 2015, and 2020. The southern peninsula has shown a higher increase in day and night temperatures in recent times, compared to other parts of India.
India witnessed its warmest October since 1901 with monthly mean temperatures nearly 1.2℃ above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), adding to a string of record-breaking temperatures recorded in recent times.
The warm weather was especially evident during nights, when the mean minimum temperature was recorded to be 21.8℃ — highest for this month in the last 123 years. Normally, the average monthly temperature settles around 25.7℃ for October, but this year it was 26.9℃ — an increase of about 1.2℃. Almost the entire India saw higher-than-usual minimum temperatures.
“It was quite warm. The temperatures are still about 2-5℃ above normal over most parts of Northwest India from Himachal Pradesh to even Madhya Pradesh. The mercury will start falling slowly and return to normal after the second week, but a sharp fall in temperatures is quite unlikely,” said IMD chief Dr M Mohapatra on Friday.
The data shows that four of the top five warmest Octobers in India since 1901 have occurred in the recent decade: 2024, 2017, 2015, and 2020. The southern peninsula has shown a higher increase in day and night temperatures in recent times, compared to other parts of India.
WHAT LED TO SPIKE IN TEMPERATURES?
According to MeT, a major reason for a warm October this year was absence of a significant number of Western Disturbances (WDs) over Northwest India. These are extratropical storms which originate from the Mediterranean Sea, travel eastwards to impact the western Himalayas and bring rains over Northwest India, which also lead to fall in temperatures.
Since there was no intense WD activity, Northwest India ended up with a rainfall deficit of nearly 75 per cent, and higher temperatures.
“Another reason was the development of around four active low-pressure systems, one of which also intensified into a cyclonic storm. When such systems develop, we observe easterly winds, which are associated with higher than normal temperatures. For cooler temperatures, we need north-westerlies, which were weaker,” he elaborated.
The delayed retreat of the southwest monsoon also contributed to a warm weather as the monsoonal winds do not enable the temperatures to fall, according to meteorologists.
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