Even as the rest of the State buckles under record low temperatures, Bengaluru was shielded due to the adverse affects of urbanisation.
Minimum temperatures dipped by over five degree Celsius since January 10, when “northerly” winds blew across the State. While the mercury in north Karnataka dipped to around seven degree Celsius, the temperatures in the city hovered around 14 degrees.
“Apart from clouds over the city, temperatures have not dipped to the levels expected of a hill station (based on the altitude of Bengaluru) because of pollution and the proliferation of concrete structures. While the minimum recorded a century ago was seven degree Celsius, now the mercury doesn’t dip below 12 degree Celsius,” said B. Puttanna, Director, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)-Bengaluru.
With the cold wave relenting, IMD expects the minimum temperature in the city to rise by over five degrees by the weekend.
Record lows in NKOver the past week, temperatures dipped to 6.4 degree Celsius (on Tuesday) at Vijayapura, which is the lowest recorded in January in 123 years. Similarly, Chitradurga town had seen its lowest temperature in over a century when the mercury dipped to 8.5 degree Celsius on January 12. Over the past few days, Dharwad and Haveri saw 11-year lows. With temperatures still at six degree Celsius, which was the lowest in the State on Wednesday, Agumbe is seeing a seven-year record low.
“The conditions have started to change now. The cold wave is coming to an end. Over the next few days, minimum temperatures will increase by around one degree Celsius daily,” said Mr. Puttanna.
Though temperatures had gone up marginally, north Karnataka continued to shiver on Wednesday under temperatures that were a few degrees below normal. Open fires were a common sight in the evenings and nights as travellers and late-night workers sought refuge form the teeth-chattering cold. However, by noon, the temperatures rose dramatically to touch 30 degree Celsius in some places.
