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'Uttarayan' - Makar Sankranti: Sun Starts Moving Northward: Impacts Weather Activity

January 14, 2025 12:37 PM |

Sun remains the main source of weather activity around the globe. Radiations from the Sun, insolation and emission of terrestrial radiations control the temperature in the lower layers of the atmosphere and become the chief catalyst for triggering weather activity. The effect is more pronounced in the tropics as the Sun moves north-south between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

The southernmost position of the Sun over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 degrees south of the equator, till Makar Sankranti, leads to cooler temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. The tropical cyclone development potential increases in the Southern Hemisphere. Storm activity becomes the least in the Indian Seas at this point of time, because of the least support of heat potential.

The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), is the main source of generating cyclonic disturbances. Most of these perturbations find support from the warm sea surface and trigger storms in the tropics. Continuing its northward journey now, the Sun will reach over the equator ( zero degrees) on around 20th March 2025, also called the equinox. The axis of ITCZ also shifts along with.

From 21st March onward when the Sun makes entry in the Northern Hemisphere, the heat starts building up over the oceans and the landmass, together. The ITCZ starts its northward shift along with the Sun. Pre-monsoon cyclone season starts for the Indian Seas, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Understandably, the stormy activity is the least in the month of March and builds up in the months of April and May. From, Makar Sankranti onward, with the northward journey of the Sun, the day duration will start increasing over the Indian region. The nights will gradually become shorter. Day and nights will have equal duration around the equinox. Thereafter, the day duration will keep increasing at the cost of nights, till the summer solstice on the 21st of June, in the Northern Hemisphere.






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