Bengaluru shivers as temperatures drop to 12.2°C in some neighbourhoods

Bengaluru: The city experienced unusually cold weather over the weekend, with Uttarahalli and Hemmigepura recording a minimum temperature of 12.2°C between 8.30 am on December 16 and 8.30 am on December 17 — the lowest in the city during this period.

Weather experts attributed the chilly conditions to northerly winds funnelled into Karnataka by a cyclonic circulation over the south Andaman Sea and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. The cold spell is expected to persist until December 20, after which the cyclonic activity is likely to subside.

Despite this, January typically remains Bengaluru’s coldest month, experts noted.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted light rain over Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts on December 19 and 20.

The cold snap

Prof G Bala from the Centre of Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences at IISc explained the role of cyclonic circulation in the sudden dip in temperatures.

“Cyclones rotate counterclockwise. When they occur in the east, they direct northerly winds, which are cold, and when they occur in the west, they bring easterly winds, which are warmer. This explains the current cold spell in Bengaluru and other parts of the state,” he told DH.

Prof Bala emphasised that this cold wave is a short-term weather event and not directly related to climate change. “Climate change effects are more evident in rising temperatures and the increasing frequency of severe heat waves. While people often recall that Bengaluru was colder in the past, the rise in average minimum temperatures over the years is indeed linked to climate change,” he added.

Colder Jan expected

IMD Scientist-F N Puviarasan said temperatures in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka are expected to rise slightly as northerly winds weaken, before gradually cooling down again in January. “The weather is likely to warm up soon, but colder conditions will return as we approach the new year,” he stated.