Amidst Deepavali festival, the residents of Bengaluru woke up to a chilly morning on Tuesday as the mercury dropped to 15.4 degrees Celsius at many places.
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According to data available on the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) website, this was the lowest minimum temperature recorded in Bengaluru in October in over a decade. The previous lowest temperature in October in the last 10 years was recorded in 2018 (16.6 degrees Celsius).
The temperature in the city, as well as in many parts of the State, had gone down in the last couple of days making people wonder if winter was setting in. However, scientists said that the temperature dip was only temporary and winter will only set in by January in the State.
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“First the Northeast monsoons should arrive. Those rains are expected to continue till December in the State. Only after that, will we see winter. This time winter will most likely last for only two months – January and February,” said Prasad, scientist at IMD, Bengaluru.
He said that the recent dip in temperature was the aftereffect of cyclone Sitrang. “The cyclone was quite intense. It was first a low-pressure area and then converted into a cyclone. As it passed, it pulled away the moisture from the State and hence there are no clouds or rains. During the night time, long wave radiations go up from earth to the sky and when the skies are clear, it leads to something called as radiating cooling. This is why the temperature dips,” Mr. Prasad explained.
There will be no rains in Bengaluru for the next two to three days, the weatherman said. On the fourth or fifth day, there might be light rains in some parts. In plains of the State, Chikkanahalli in Tumakuru district recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 12.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.