Several States in the country, including Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi, have been witnessing record-high temperatures in the month of February, with both minimum and maximum settling at 7 to 11 degrees Celsius higher than normal.
Bhuntar, a town in the Kullu district of Himachal, recorded a maximum of 29.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday, setting a new record for February, a Meteorological Department official said, the temperature was 5-9 degrees Celsius above normal last week, which further rose 7-11 degrees Celsius above normal on Saturday.
There has been a dry spell since the 12th of February in Himachal, which could be the possible reason for the abnormal rise, said Dr RK Jenamani, a senior scientist from the Indian Meteorological Department. Talking to AIR News, DG IMD Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, the temperature is expected to rise further.
Bhuj in Gujarat has already recorded the maximum temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius in February, viewed as an extreme weather condition, according to meteorologists. Delhi on Friday witnessed the warmest day of the season with the maximum temperature rising to 29.8 degrees Celsius, over 5 degrees Celsius higher than the normal of 24.2 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperatures are in the range of 37-39 degrees Celsius over the interior parts of Saurashtra and Kutch and parts of southwest Rajasthan. These are in the range of 24-27 degrees Celsius in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand. The temperatures are 5-9 degrees Celsius above normal, the IMD said in a statement.
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