Bhubaneswar, Oct 12 : Feeling of summer heat in October has caused consternation among weather watchers with the temperature abnormally soaring to 36 degrees C in the capital city on Wednesday which is four degrees C above normal.
The absence of dry cold wind from the north and north-east due to movement of low pressure over Odisha on September 29 and 30 towards North Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar and the consequent cloudburst over Sikkim in the first week of October,has triggered the rise in the day temperature, Dr. Sarat Chandra Sahu, Director of SOA’s Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) here said.
The night temperature on Wednesday in the capital city was found to be 27.4 degrees C which was 3.5 degrees C above normal, Dr. Sahu said.
The temperature recorded at CEC in October between 2019 and 2023 and at SOA’s agriculture farm at Chhatabar on the outskirts of the city indicated the sharp rise in temperature, he added.
As Chhatabar is located away from the city in a rural setting, the day and night temperature at the farm indicated a difference of 1.5 degree C against the higher temperature recorded in the city.
Dr.Sahu said strong southerly wind flow from the Bay of Bengal towards North of West Bengal and Sikkim was prominent between October 1 and 5, Dr. Sahu said.
Light to moderate rainfall was experienced across Odisha due to a cyclonic circulation and low pressure over the state up to October 4 but moisture with 60 to 65 percent humidity and cloud cover caused the day temperature to hover between 30 to 33 degrees C up to October 5, he said.
As rain stopped from October 4, presence of 60 to 65 percent humidity in the lower atmosphere and significantly less humidity in the upper atmosphere coupled with westerly wind flow towards Odisha favoured the rise of day and night temperature from October 6, Dr. Sahu said.
The day temperature remained 35 degrees C (or more) and night temperature was 27 degrees C (or more) from October 6, he said adding this trend is expected to continue till October 18.
He explained that the high humidity in the lower atmosphere did not favour rain in the absence of any circulation to push the moisture upwards for cloud formation and subsequent rain.
So the moisture remained in the lower atmosphere while the clear sky allowed penetration of solar radiation towards earth’s surface.
Models, however, indicate that wind patterns could change from October 18 due to formation of a cyclonic circulation over the south Bay of Bengal which is expected to favour decrease of day and night temperature, Dr.Sahu said.