The Hindu Business Line : Mercury falls as weather clears over northwest

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec. 23 The anti-cyclone with its core sitting over Oman-the Gulf of Aden has further strengthened its grip over unfolding weather over northwest and central India.

Cold northerlies-to-northwesterlies blowing in from across the border have brought down minimum temperatures by 3-6 deg Celsius over northwest India, Rajasthan, adjoining west Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Clear skies in the region would force down the mercury level further, according to an outlook by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Minimum temperatures may fall by 1-3 deg Celsius during the next two days to become ‘near normal’ for the season.

Fog conditions continued to prevail over parts of east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, north Madhya Pradesh and the north-eastern States as light winds and lingering moisture aided convection. The lowest minimum temperature of 2.4 deg Celsius was recorded at Churu (Rajasthan) in the plains.

DRY WEATHER

Going forward, mainly dry weather is likely to prevail over most parts of the country except Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh where isolated rain or thundershowers are possible.

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts sees the southeast Indian Ocean just off the western tip of Indonesia warming up over the next few days and throwing up a circulation. Adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal too may get ‘busied up’ in the process but that could possibly be as far as it gets.

But some gains are indicated for Sri Lanka, as easterlies to southeasterlies from the Bay are shown to skirt the southeast to head straight into the island nation.

GROWING INFLUENCE

The big anti-cyclone would have moved further east and extended its influence into the southern latitudes to cover the entire peninsula, with associated cold and dry northwesterlies heading east-to-southeast dipping into the Bay of Bengal. In this manner, the easterlies would not be allowed any leeway into the peninsular coast.

This would also mean the ‘banishment’ of the prevailing anti-cyclone over the southeast coast leading to its disintegration. The result would be a prolonged cold, dry phase over the peninsula as well through this week and probably into the New Year.

In the meantime, some weakening of the northern flanks of the anti-cyclone is indicated by the US Navy’s Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System, leaving the door options open for any westerly trough that may lurk around in the northern neighbourhood.

NO WESTERLY TROUGH

But the models did not see any such weather-maker trough managing to prevail over the entrenched anti-cyclone to push its way across the border into northwest India.

According to the Regional Met Centre, Chennai, the chill has started to filter into peninsular India. During the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning, Chamrajnagar recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 7 deg Celsius in the plains of the region.

Dry weather prevailed over Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Karnataka. The minimum temperature fell at one or two places over coastal Karnataka and interior Tamil Nadu.

It was below normal at one or two places over Kerala, south interior Karnataka, interior Tamil Nadu and appreciably so at one or two places over the rest of the State, North interior Karnataka and Rayalaseema.