<p>Thursday was the second coldest day in May for Bengaluru in the last 50 years as the city’s maximum temperature dropped by a staggering 11 degrees Celsius.</p>.<p>Bengaluru recorded a maximum temperature of just 23°C, a far cry from the normal of 34°C, data recorded by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 5.30 pm showed. The minimum temperature, too, stayed below normal. At 19.5°C, it was 3°C lower.</p>.<p>The only time Bengaluru had a colder day during the fifth month was on May 14, 1972, when the maximum temperature stood at 22.2°C.</p>.<p>Curiously, as per the IMD’s 8.30 am recording, the maximum temperature in the city for the previous 24 hours was 25°C.</p>.<p>At 5.30 pm on May 11, the maximum temperature had stood at 24.3°C, the lowest for May in the last 10 years and at least 9°C lower.</p>.<p>So what’s behind this unusual weather? Is it cyclone Asani?</p>.<p>It’s actually the remnant of the cyclonic conditions, as one senior IMD official put it.</p>.<p>IMD said that “Asani has weakened over the west-central Bay of Bengal”.</p>.<p>“It was a well-marked low-pressure area over coastal Andhra Pradesh but is weakening into a low-pressure area with winds blowing at less than 17 knots (31.48 kmph),” said Geeta Agnihotri, scientist, IMD, Bengaluru. The effects are being felt thousands of kilometres away, she added. </p>.<p>Another senior official said low clouds and cold winds were prevailing over northeast Karnataka and south Karnataka, dropping the temperatures and bringing rainfall. </p>.<p>The IMD said the weather will stay for at least two more days (until May 14) before the rainfall comes down and temperatures rise again.</p>
<p>Thursday was the second coldest day in May for Bengaluru in the last 50 years as the city’s maximum temperature dropped by a staggering 11 degrees Celsius.</p>.<p>Bengaluru recorded a maximum temperature of just 23°C, a far cry from the normal of 34°C, data recorded by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 5.30 pm showed. The minimum temperature, too, stayed below normal. At 19.5°C, it was 3°C lower.</p>.<p>The only time Bengaluru had a colder day during the fifth month was on May 14, 1972, when the maximum temperature stood at 22.2°C.</p>.<p>Curiously, as per the IMD’s 8.30 am recording, the maximum temperature in the city for the previous 24 hours was 25°C.</p>.<p>At 5.30 pm on May 11, the maximum temperature had stood at 24.3°C, the lowest for May in the last 10 years and at least 9°C lower.</p>.<p>So what’s behind this unusual weather? Is it cyclone Asani?</p>.<p>It’s actually the remnant of the cyclonic conditions, as one senior IMD official put it.</p>.<p>IMD said that “Asani has weakened over the west-central Bay of Bengal”.</p>.<p>“It was a well-marked low-pressure area over coastal Andhra Pradesh but is weakening into a low-pressure area with winds blowing at less than 17 knots (31.48 kmph),” said Geeta Agnihotri, scientist, IMD, Bengaluru. The effects are being felt thousands of kilometres away, she added. </p>.<p>Another senior official said low clouds and cold winds were prevailing over northeast Karnataka and south Karnataka, dropping the temperatures and bringing rainfall. </p>.<p>The IMD said the weather will stay for at least two more days (until May 14) before the rainfall comes down and temperatures rise again.</p>
