Where’s the fog? - This is what most of us were shouting till the mid of the December this year. Fog in Delhi and North India which begins from November itself, was nowhere to be seen till the mid of December this year. And the first thick fog occurrence (only for a short duration) was only towards December end when a spell of rain provided enough moisture for fog to form. All the major fog occurrences with visibility dropping to nil have only been observed in January, with around 3 to 4 days of dense/very dense fog which lasted up to 11 am.
Why is it so cold here! - While it was unusual for fog to not have occurred in Delhi and North India, it was highly uncommon for frequent fog incursions of fog right up to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. What’s more unheard was very dense fog. This not only crippled normal life in the city and adjoining areas but also led to a significant drop in maximums by about 4 to 6 degrees in north and central Madhya Pradesh. You bet, daytime has never been soooo cold in M.P!
Rain? In the Winter? - Asked for winter and got winter rain instead. People in Mumbai are quite used to the cold spells in the winter season as a result of the biting cold weather up in the North, with minimums dropping to around 11⁰C in the month of December. While Mumbaikars, eager to wear winter clothes were surprised to witness the spell of winter weather in January, they were even more surprised when cold days were followed by winter rain, a rare weather phenomenon. This rain had occurred because of a trough off and along the coast of Maharashtra. Severe winter and winter rain pose severe threat to grape crop in Maharashtra every year.
From no snow to too much snow - The said ‘jannat’ in India, the magnificent Kashmir which is famous for its snowy scenery received no snow in the thick of winter. Weathermen, scientists, travellers and locals, were all worried as there was no snow till the 20th of December. This happened due to less number of Western Disturbances. But then it began to snow, and when it did, it broke all records. In the month of January, life came to a halt in Jammu and Kashmir when several cities included, reported more than 100 mm of rain/snow. Snowfall was very heavy in Himachal Pradesh too. In a span of just two days, Shimla had received over 30 cm of snow, heaviest in years.
Feels like Summer - While the entire country was witnessing cold winter weather, it felt like a second summer along the west coast in South India, in the peak winter month of January. Maximums were and still are seen settling in the mid-thirties, touching 37⁰C at times. There were days when tourists had to return to their respective hotels to avoid getting terribly tanned and in the heat of the day. Cool and breezy winds at night were the only reminder of winter season, offering a stark contrast in the temperatures of the day and the night. Lack of any rain and flow of dry and warm land winds caused this heated change in this part of the country.
Photo by Ritika Acharya.