The city on Tuesday experienced its coldest morning of October, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The minimum temperature at the Bengaluru City station was recorded at 17.1 degrees Celsius, nearly a two-degree departure from the norm, as of 8.30 am. Meanwhile, the KIAL and HAL Airport stations recorded temperatures of 17.2 and 17 degrees Celsius, respectively.
For the rest of the days in October, barring October 18, when the minimum morning temperature was 18.6 degrees Celsius, the readings generally hovered between 19 and 21 degrees Celsius.
A scientist from the IMD explained that the minimum temperature denotes the coldest part of the day, while the maximum temperature indicates the hottest part. They also noted that while the stations recorded their lowest temperatures, the exact reason for this drop could not be substantiated at the moment.
“It was surprising that the city recorded 17.1 degrees Celsius as it was not felt outside,” A Prasad, the head of IMD’s meteorological centre in Bengaluru, told DH. “As of now, it is the lowest minimum temperature of the month.”
The previous lowest minimum temperature in the month was recorded on October 25, 2022, at 15.4 degrees Celsius, Sabarinath Subramanian, an independent weather blogger, told DH.
No harsh winter
IMD’s Prasad said that the city is likely to see the effects of winter from the last week of November.
“The probability of a harsh winter like last year’s is very low this year due to the effect of El Nino,” Prasad said, adding that there is a strong likelihood of rain in November.
Subramanian, who is part of the group of weather enthusiasts that runs the Bengaluru Weather handle on X (formerly Twitter), said: “I think the nights will be colder for a few more days because of the cyclone in Bay of Bengal, which is moving towards Bangladesh. It will most likely bring in some dry air from the north and disrupt the northeast monsoon. These will be dry winds and the minimum temperature might go down the next two-three days but the maximum temperature would be high. It will be like a short early winter. Due to the dryness, the days will be warmer, while the lights and the early mornings will be cooler.”
(Published 24 October 2023, 20:13 IST)