As per normal dates, the southwest monsoon starts withdrawing from West Rajasthan around mid-September. The monsoon also begins retreating from Gujarat by 25th September, and by the end of the month, the withdrawal is complete from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and the hilly states of North India. Withdrawal of the monsoon results in a change in the wind pattern. The absence of clouds and bright sunshine triggers a temporary rise in day temperatures, often referred to as the ‘second summer’. The mercury levels invariably shoot up on either side of the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N), more so over the western parts of the country.
The Tropic of Cancer passes through the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, and Mizoram. Temperatures usually show a significant rise between 5th and 15th October. On the western side, parts of South Rajasthan and Kutch & Central Gujarat often breach the 40°C mark on a few days. Places like Naliya, Bhuj, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, and Baroda turn very hot during the day. On the eastern side, Kolkata, Midnapore, Kharagpur, Kalaikunda, and Panagarh also witness temperatures touching 40°C. This feature, however, was missing this season.
The missing feature is attributable to unseasonal rains over the northern and western parts of the country after the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon. Courtesy of a series of systems from the Bay of Bengal travelling right up to Gujarat, substantial monsoon rains visited even those pockets from where the monsoon had already made a timely withdrawal. Also, there was early snowfall in the mid and higher reaches of the northern mountains. This factor suppressed the seasonal feature of the ‘second summer’ this year. Places like Naliya, Bhuj, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar never reached even the 35°C mark in October so far. Yes, isolated places like Deesa in Gujarat and Barmer in Rajasthan have recorded day highs of 36.2°C and 37.3°C, respectively, for the first time yesterday. The minimum temperature of about 20°C at Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is comparable to Delhi’s temperature of 19°C this morning. Even Jaisalmer, Deesa, and Rajkot have reported similar readings in the past 24 hours. The winter call may come up earlier than normal over these parts of the country.
Delhi Weather: Delhi Records Below Normal Temperatures In October: Third Highest Rainfall In Fifteen Years
