India feels the heat: Hottest February recorded since 1901

NEW DELHI: India reported its warmest February since proper record-keeping began 1901, recording the highest average maximum temperature (29. 5 degrees C) across the country, even as IMD on Tuesday signalled more bitter days ahead with a forecast of hotter than normal summer in many parts of India during the March-May period.
In its summer season forecast, IMD said most parts of northeast, east, central and several areas of northwest India, including Delhi-NCR, are expected to see “above-normal” day temperatures. The season could see more heatwave days than last year. Normal summer temperatures are likely in south India and most parts of Maharashtra.

Along with India as a whole, this February was also the warmest on record in northwest India, with the average day temperature as much as 3. 4°C above normal, while central India recorded its second warmest February with the average maximum temperature more than 2°C higher than normal, the IMD said.
The agency also warned of more heatwave days in the coming summer is several parts of the country. “Enhanced probability of occurrence of heatwave during March to May season is likely over many regions of central and a djoining northwest India,” IMD said in its seasonal outlook.
Asked whether climate change was the reason behind such high temperatures in February and the prediction of hotter summer days,SC Bhan, IMD scientist who released the seasonal outlook, said though the entire globe is living in an era of climate change and global warming, the attribution (direct link to climate change) is normally a matter of diagnosis. “It may or may not be part of climate change due to global warming,” he said.

On the impact of higher temperatures on agricultural, Bhan said though the agriculture ministry is ready with extension services and support to farmers in case of extreme weather events, there is no report of adverse impact of temperatures on the farming operations so far.
Although the IMD preferred not to hazard a guess at this juncture on this year’s monsoon (June-September) due to uncertainty of prevailing El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions, for which the picture may get clearer in April, it said the La Niña (cooling of surface ocean water linked to good monsoon) conditions are currently prevailing over the equatorial Pacific region. “The La Niña is likely to weaken and become neutral in early summer. There’s a chance of El Nino (warming of ocean surface linked to weak monsoon) conditions developing later in the summer,” said IMD.
On the monsoon situation, Bhan said, “We will have a forecast in mid-April. Monsoon doesn’t depend on one parameter. We’ll be more sure about all the other parameters in April and then predict it by studying its combined impact.”
About the night (minimum) temperatures during the season (March-May), IMD predicted “above normal minimum temperatures” over most parts of the country except south peninsular India where normal to below normal minimum temperatures are likely.
Watch Temperature in Northwest India to rise by 2-3 degrees during next 3 days: IMD