Winter Weather: In November, why did the Meteorological Department give bad news for winter lovers?

Kamlesh Chowdhury

Kolkata: As the saying goes, morning shows the day. If you see the morning, you can understand how the day will go. Is that always the case? He is not talking about the weather. A few days ago, Kolkata experienced the coldest October day in ten years. That said, it will be cold in November, and that hope is low. Almost no. Weather Department has bad news for winter lovers. Simply put, November is a cold thorn.

What’s the bad news about November’s cold?

According to Mausam Bhawan’s forecast, the average minimum temperature at night in November will be higher than normal. The same is the case with daytime temperature ie maximum temperature. The real thing is how much the night temperature drops during the winter season. There is also a drop in mercury! Let’s take Kolkata. The average minimum temperature in Alipore in November is 19.6 degrees Celsius. The forecast calls for minimum temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius for most days of the month. Not that the temperature won’t drop below that some days. But the chance to see that trend is less.

In fact, winter never comes in November in South Bengal. It takes mid-December to start the winter journey to Calcutta or South Bengal. The winter ‘trailer’ begins in November. Some days the feeling of cold increases. Then it decreases again. For example, in 2012, 2014, and 2017, the mercury dropped below 15 degrees in Kolkata.

This time, like at the end of October, nature has shown a one-night trailer under the pull of dry air. On October 29, Alipore recorded a temperature of 19.6 degrees Celsius. The mercury dipped below 20 degrees in October itself, something the metropolis has not seen in the past ten years. But after that, the temperature did not decrease. The opposite has increased. The minimum temperature in Alipore was 22.3 degrees Celsius on the first day of November. It’s not like the wind is blowing in. But his strength is less. A high-pressure area has formed over central India. Wind strength will increase slightly in the north. It may decrease by one-half degree, not more.

Not only in Bengal but there is also no hope of freezing cold in the whole country in November. Night temperatures may be above normal in all states except Rajasthan, the forecast says. Bengal has to look towards North, North-West India for cold air. As a result, if the supply is low, how will the cold increase?

One more condition can go awry. According to the forecast of Mausam Bhavan, there may be more than normal rains in some parts of the state in November. That is, the air will have more water vapor. Good cooling requires dry air. But dry air can be cornered if strong winds prevail. This number is also in the forecast of Mausam Bhawan.

What does this forecast indicate?

Sanjeev Banerjee, Additional Director General of Mausam Bhavan, commented, ‘Every year we are seeing a warming trend. One year is topping the next. The fact that the average temperature in the country is likely to remain above normal in November can be seen as part of that trend. Another thing that is clear is that global warming has a greater impact on the lowest temperatures than on the highest temperatures. Because warming will increase evaporation. As a result, the tendency to be covered by clouds will increase. And if there are clouds in the sky, the night temperature will have less chance to decrease, instead, it will increase.’

2019 was the warmest November in the last 10 years. The minimum temperature in Kolkata did not fall below 21.3 degrees Celsius. That time 137 mm of rain fell in Kolkata in the whole of November. 4 times more than normal. Rain means clouds and strong winds. The more cornered dry air. The corners are cold too. This time is the repetition of nineteen. If so, winter lovers have no choice but t look forward to December-January.