E-Paper
Temperature shift: Baffled CSA varsity scientists to delve deeper to study temperature patterns
A study has found that temperatures in 29 districts of central U.P. and Bundelkhand have been climbing
Weather scientists are baffled by the change in the pattern of temperatures in June.
A study has found that temperatures in 29 districts of central U.P. and Bundelkhand have been climbing to such an extent that mercury readings, generally seen at noon, are being seen in the mornings of June for the past three years.
“Since night temperatures are on the higher side in several districts of east UP, hence people start feeling the intensity of the heat from 9 am in the morning which we would otherwise experience in the afternoon,” said Mohd Danish, Met Lucknow office in-charge.
June saw a clear shift in the time at which temperatures started increasing. The CS Azad University for Agriculture and Technology weather scientists said that this change, coupled with high temperature, with high moisture content were disrupting the life cycle of insects.
“The insects that we had not seen in May and June are now visible in these two months, particularly the ones that are attracted by light.”
This, in turn, was disturbing the time of ripening of fruits and vegetables, they added.
Alok Dhawan, director, Centre of Biomedical Research that works for patient care says that an increase in temperature definitely impacts the life cycle of insects.
The CSA University scientists have now expanded the scope of the study to understand the reason.
“The fluctuation in temperature has been surprising since November last, but the changes noticed in May and June are worrying and need to be understood better, keeping the future in mind,” Dr SN Sunil Pandey, principal weather scientist of university said, adding that surprisingly, the maximum and minimum temperature in May was below normal.
He said that the temperature gradually increases from the morning till it peaks between 3 pm and 4 pm before it begins settling down towards minimum.
“In the past three years, we have observed that the temperature that should have been at 12 pm is recorded now at 9 am. If this happens during the monsoon it is normal, but this in May and June is quite flummoxing,” he said.
During this month, the university scientists carried out the study between June 7 and June 15, 2023, and found the temperature at 8-9 am was in the range of 35 to 36 degrees Celcius. According to Dr Pandey, the mercury touched this range at around 12 pm in the past and touched 40 degrees around 2.30 pm.
