Hyderabad: There is a nip in the early morning air, a reminder that winter is not far away. The minimum temperature in the last few days has hovered between 19ºC and 20ºC. Officially, winter is from mid-December to February, when the minimum temperature can fall to 13ºC in a normal year.
The minimum temperature on October 10 was 19.8ºC, the lowest this month. It rose slightly to 20.8ºC on October 17 and 20ºC on October 18.
“The reason for the drop in temperature is directly proportionate to the northeast monsoon winds. At the onset of the north-east monsoon, winds from Siberia generally prevail over South India. These northeasterly winds are cold and dry and the humidity is relatively less compared to the southwest monsoon winds,” said Prof. Bannu Kumar, a climate expert.
The current wind speed is 10 kmph and is likely to increase with the onset of the northeast monsoon.
The days, however, are warmer, with the maximum temperature of 31ºC to 33ºC that is currently recorded being higher than the normal for this time of year.
IMD director Y. K Reddy said, “In the coming days, the city will witness cold windy mornings due to the north and northeasterly winds.
“The state is currently covered by low-level northerlies or northeaster winds which are dominant in the northern side of the state,” he said.
He said that the low temperatures were not a mark of winter setting in but indications of the onset of the northeast monsoon.
