Bengaluru could be in for an early and long summer this year. On Wednesday (February 1) the temperature was two degrees Celsius above normal for the season.
Weathermen say the normal temperature in Bengaluru around this time of the year is between 29 and 30 degrees Celsius while this year, the temperature is already hovering around 32 degrees Celsius.
Sundar Mahadev Metri, Bengaluru IMD director-in-charge told DH that though winds prevailing over Karnataka are from the north, they are not carrying any moisture. The sky is clear and there is no formation of any winds in the oceans. All these factors are leading to a rise in temperature. It is also normal for temperatures to gradually rise as summer approaches. But this year, temperatures are already above normal and they will continue to rise, he said.
Metri added that on the city’s outskirts, the maximum temperatures were around 30 degrees Celsius while in the city centre, mercury levels are between 31 and 32 degrees Celsius. Local factors like increase in concretisation, use of glass in construction and urbanisation are also responsible for an increase in temperature.
However, there has been a dip in the minimum temperatures by one degree Celsius. The city on Wednesday morning recorded a minimum of 16 degrees Celsius. HAL and Kempegowda International Airport recorded a minimum of 15 degrees Celsius each which is one degree below normal. Metri said that this was because of clear skies. “When the sky is clear, the maximum temperature will increase and the minimum will drop,” he explained.