Bhubaneswar: The winter will colder and harsher and there is 50 per cent to 60 per cent probability that minimum temperature will be below normal in Odisha this year.
The main factor behind the stark winter forecast is the prevailing weak La Niña over the Pacific Ocean since August 2020. La Nina is a phenomenon that describes cooler than normal ocean surface temperatures in the Eastern and Central Pacific Ocean, regions close to the equator off the west coast of South America.
“In India, El Nino leads to drought or weak monsoon while La Nina favours strong monsoon and colder winters,” said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Scientist Umasankar Das.
According to the India Meteorological Centre, the country is going to witness frequent and intense episodes of cold waves in the next three months.
Which states will be affected?
The core cold wave (CW) zone will cover northern states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, extending through Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana.
Early indications
Delhi experienced the coldest October in 58 years when the mean minimum temperature for the month at 17.2 degrees Celsius.
Director-General of Meteorology of IMD Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that India would witness rich La Nina conditions. That means the temperature prevalent over the northern part of the country would be low, causing winters to be relatively colder.
“Minimum temperature will be 0.48 degree Celsius below normal in Chhattisgarh and 0.36 degree below normal in Madhya Pradesh for which western Odisha is likely to experience a colder winter than remaining parts of the State,” Director General of Meteorology of IMD Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told TNIE.
