Hyderabad getting hotter every year with average increase of 1.17ºC

HYDERABAD: Scientists at the Environmental Protection Training and Research Institute said mean changes in projected temperature under the COSMO model showed an average increase of 1.17ºC for Hyderabad for the period 2020-2050.

This will lead to extremities in rainfall like monsoon starting late than June and extending up to September, heavy rainfall for some days and nil rainfall for a prolonged period.

Two scientists from the institute — J. Sesha Srinivas and Dhanya Praveen — analysed climatic trends in Hyderabad from 1971 to 2010 with the help of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.

Their analysis showed an increasing trend in the temperature. The mean annual temperature was found to be 26.7ºC during the 30-year period. An increase of 0.016ºC a year was observed. According to EPTRI director-general B. Kalyan Chakravarthy, Hyderabad had been witnessing erratic rainfall for 20 years.

“In the year 2000, 23 events were observed with 20 mm/hour rainfall. In 2005, these increased to 28 and in 2008 36. Events of even higher intensity, 40 mm/hour, also show a similar exponential increase. While the trends of high intensity rainfall are on the rise, the drainage system of the city is designed to cater to a maximum rainfall intensity of 12mm/hr. This led to severe flash floods causing loss of property,” he said.