Gear up for a harsh winter in Telangana

Hyderabad: After a severe summer and heavy monsoon this year, Telangana might witness a biting winter as well. The harsh winter prediction comes in the wake of a recent forecast from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States that a La Niña weather pattern was emerging in the Pacific Ocean. While this was likely […]

Hyderabad: After a severe summer and heavy monsoon this year, Telangana might witness a biting winter as well.

The harsh winter prediction comes in the wake of a recent forecast from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States that a La Niña weather pattern was emerging in the Pacific Ocean. While this was likely to cause frigid winters in the northern parts of India, experts are expecting teeth-chattering-cold in the southern parts as well.

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“There is a possibility that the winter might be harsher this year. However, we will wait for the official forecast, which is due in a couple of days, before confirming anything,” India Meteorological Department, Hyderabad director Dr K Nagaratna said.

January and February were likely to be extremely cold with temperatures set to fall as low as 3 degree Celsius in several parts of the country. La Niña impacts the global climate and disrupts normal weather patterns, which can lead to intense storms in some places and droughts in others. This weather pattern is reportedly the reason behind some parts of India witnessing unusually heavy rains this year. Several northern cities were also facing an early winter due to La Niña. Areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh have already seen the mercury drop to sub-zero temperatures.

What is La Niña?

La Niña, which means Little Girl in Spanish, is a climate pattern that describes the cooling of surface ocean waters along the tropical west coast of South America. It is caused by a build-up of cooler-than-normal waters in the tropical Pacific, the area of the Pacific Ocean between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Unusually strong, eastward-moving trade winds and ocean currents bring this cold water to the surface, a process known as upwelling, which can cause a drastic drop in sea-surface temperature.

How long will the effects last?

According to the National Ocean Service, the weather pattern typically lasts nine to 12 months but can sometimes stretch for years. This time, La Niña system has formed for the second year in a row, according to the Climate Prediction Centre of the NOAA. The latest La Niña is expected to last through February 2022.

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