The transitionary phase between winter and summer every year, which is the end of January and almost the entire month of February, is a difficult period for people in the erstwhile Adilabad district as nights are chilly and the day temperatures climb steadily. This year however, the weather has turned a tormentor with the difference between the minimum and maximum temperature on any given day being more than 20 degree Celsius.
The cool breeze in the plains as well as the hilly areas in these parts has temperatures pegged at below 14 degree Celsius, which is not all that chilly, but sufficiently cold to keep people indoors until well after sunrise. The smoke arising out of huts hangs over villages like a pall of fog and makes for a beautiful visage in rural areas.
The month of January was hotter in 2016 and 2017 recording a maximum temperature of 32.1 degree Celsius and 30.4 degree Celsius respectively, but it was slightly colder this year as the maximum temperature averaged at about 29.5 degree Celsius. The rise in the average maximum temperature in February of both years was 35.8 degree Celsius and 34.5 degree Celsius, while the minimum temperatures recorded were 18.3 degree C and 12. 8 degree C against an average minimum in January of 12.8 degree C and 12. 8 degree C.
This season, Adilabad recorded the lowest minimum ever of 3.5 degree C on December 27 and the trend of low temperatures continued until the end of January. This trend started changing in the last three days with Friday recording the minimum temperature of 13.2 degree C and the maximum was 34.5 degree C, the difference being 21.3 degree C.
“The summer will be harsh in all likelihood,” predicted Agriculture Scientist, Agronomist, D. Mohan Das, as he talked about the current weather conditions. “The mirages that form on the ground are an indication of the things to come,” he explained.
According to Dr. Mohan Das, the hot conditions would also result in speedy depletion of ground water table, especially in the hilly areas. There would be more transpirational losses in vegetation too.
