The maximum temperature in Bengaluru for February is hovering at 35 degrees Celsius, which is three degrees above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
If you thought that’s too hot to handle, brace for hotter days ahead even before the summer begins officially. “There is no wind and the sky is clear. There are no signs of any drop in the mercury in the coming days,” an IMD official said.
The department says that technically the summer has advanced by a week, though the hot season officially starts in March and ends in May. On Thursday, Bengaluru recorded maximum temperature of 35.5 degrees Celsius (more than three degrees above normal) and minimum temperature of 19.2 degrees Celsius (one degree above normal for this period).
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the maximum temperature stood at 34 and 35 degrees Celsius, respectively. “This is a clear pattern and indicates that the summer is advancing. This is because of increasing concretisation and lack of green spaces in the city. Besides, there is no moisture in the air. The weather is dry and so people are feeling the heat,” the official explained.
On February 18 and 19, the maximum temperature was 31.2 and 31.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, which is near normal. The temperature was near normal between February 12 and 16 (around 28 and 29 degrees Celsius). But this was because the northeasterly winds were still prevailing. The temperature shot up from February 18 onwards, reaching up to 31 degrees Celsius, the official said.
According to records with the IMD, the normal maximum temperature for February is 32 degrees Celsius, for March between 32 and 33 degrees Celsius, for April 34 degrees Celsius and for May between 33 and 34 degrees Celsius.
Published 23 February 2017, 19:49 IST