Key Points:
- India will face extreme winters this year says IMD.
- IMD Chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the La Niña is the reason behind the chillier winters.
- La Niña is the abnormal cooler sea surface temperatures reported along the equatorial Pacific Ocean and it is known to favour cold waves.
- Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are the states that will experience a cold wave above it.
- The IMD gave out the report warning people about the situation.
The North Indian skies are back to being smoky and blurred yet again. Experts have cautioned citizens to get ready for chillier winters this year. The reason behind this is the pollutions levels in the city which may also worsen the impact of coronavirus. This year’s winter is likely to be cooler with intense and more frequent cold wave events likely to sweep over India.
What is La Niña?
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La Niña means ‘Little Girl’ in
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It is one part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.
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The cycle is a complex phenomenon that takes place over the Pacific Ocean with wide-ranging complications for the overall globe’s weather.
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La Niña is related to the cooling of the Pacific waters.
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It is the abnormal cooler sea surface temperatures reported along the equatorial Pacific Ocean and it is known to favour cold waves.
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During La Niña, the severity of cold conditions becomes intense
A weak La Niña has prevailed over the Pacific Ocean since August.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the Indian Meteorological Department’s chief said during a webinar organized by National Disaster Management Authority,
“We associate La Nina years with a higher frequency of intense cyclones over Bay of Bengal and colder winters. But many other factors influence the winter. A forecast will be issued in November for the winter months. But if we consider only the impact of La Nina then that is definitely linked to colder winters.”
In 2019, Delhi and adjoining areas in the north had experienced its coldest winter of the century.
“Though trends over India have been that of a warming winter during recent years, there is no particular trend observed for the regions experiencing cold wave,”
Mohapatra said.
According to the IMD, the states to experience a cold wave in 2020 are Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Every year, by November, the IMD releases a Winter Forecast predicting the severity of the cold from December to February.
