Finally, Bengalureans feel winter chill

With the chill gripping the city on Saturday and Sunday, residents felt that winter has finally arrived, but this was due to the cloudy sky and wind.

The weatherman has pointed out that the ‘chill factor’, which was missing with the onset of winter, was experienced at the weekend. However, while the maximum temperature had dropped, the minimum temperature was high. The city, on Sunday up to 5.30 pm, recorded a maximum of 25 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 16.6 degrees Celsius.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the normal maximum temperature is 26.4 degrees Celsius and the normal minimum temperature 16.5 degrees Celsius. The wind was hovering at a speed of 10-15 kmph. The maximum and minimum temperatures on Saturday were 28 and 17.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.

C P Patil, IMD-Bengaluru, director-in-charge, said the chill factor was because of the cyclonic storm Phethai in the Bay of Bengal. This is at the outbounds of south Karnataka and is drawing all the cold wind from North India to the south.

The cloudy sky is obstructing sunlight from touching the earth’s surface, because of which the maximum temperature is low. And at night, the earth’s heat is not able to leave the atmosphere because of the cloud cover. Due to this, the minimum temperature is near normal. Patil said the difference between maximum and minimum temperature is also less.

Due to the cyclone, the temperatures will continue to be low and cold for the next three days. After this, the normal weather will resume where the sky will be clear during the day and minimum temperature at night will drop.

IMD officials pointed that so far the city had not experienced the biting cold and chilly weather, which it used to feel before.