The cold to pleasant weather that the city was experiencing has suddenly given way to a rather sunny daytime, with the maximum temperature on Monday hitting 31.7 degrees Celsius, a 3°C departure from normal.
This was slightly higher than last year’s hottest January (31.6°C). The minimum temperature on Monday stood at 17.9°C. According to officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it doesn’t appear as though citizens will get a respite from the heat any time soon.
The hottest ever day in January was in 2000, when the maximum temperature was 32.8°C, followed by 32.1°C in 2007 and 32°C in 2013. The average mean for maximum temperatures in the month of January is 27.9°C.
The IMD officials said a trough of low pressure from the southeast Arabian Sea to east central Arabian Sea off the Konkan coast was persisting. As a result, the moisture content was restricted to the coastal region, keeping away from the land, causing dry weather. In fact, dry weather prevailed all over Karnataka, with no major change expected in the next few days.
The IMD has forecast clear skies with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 30°C and 18°C respectively until Wednesday.
