Munnar: On Thursday, the temperature in Munnar in Kerala was minus 2 degrees Celsius, which is 2 degrees Celsius below zero. This is an unexpected occurrence of a sharp drop in temperature in February. It is considered to be one of the strongest signs of climate change impacts. Munnar is a hill station called Kashmir of the South.
Munnar usually sees winters and occasional snowfall in the months of November, December and January, followed by mercury gradually rising in February. The lowest temperature of this season was recorded at minus 2 degrees Celsius in Laxmi Estate. Other places in Munnar recorded a drop in temperature, which is Silent Valley (-2), Chenduvarai (-2), Nalluthanni (-1), Munnar UPASI (-1), Sevanmalai (0) and Mattupetty (0) degrees Celsius. Recorded.
According to the report of Indian Express, local hotelier Johnson Pius said that “This time the weather is completely different, usually the temperature starts to rise in Munnar in February. Winters and snowfall occur in November-December. This time November and December did not feel very cold. This time the cold is feeling in February, it could be the effect of climate change.
Expert opinion
At the same time, experts say that the climate in Munnar has been different from the forecast for the last few years. Dr. TV Sanjeev, a senior scientist at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), said the temperature at these places is beyond control and forecasting the weather is difficult. The change in its formation is clear and distinct. In the past, there have been changes in the formation of seasons, but they were not regular.
It has been reported that due to continuous rains, winter arrived in Munnar with a delay of about three weeks. In this popular hill station, the temperature had risen again in the first week of January after falling. And now, in February, the temperature has come down.
Scientific officer of Kerala Agriculture University, Gopkumar Cholayil said, “It was in 2019 that Idukki, especially Munnar, had recorded a severe cold. The cold winds also went. The temperature had gone down to minus 4 degrees Celsius. The type of snowfall that usually occurs in Kashmir, Kullu and Manali was then seen in Munnar, which was also the main attraction of the weather here. It was rare in Kerala’s weather conditions and such incidents are part of climate change. “
He said that in high-grade areas like Idukki, the temperature rises normally during the day and falls at night. Munnar experiences severe cold at night while the weather is usually clear. At the same time, the chill in the air in Munnar will greatly help the tourism sector. In 2019, around 2.5 lakh people traveled to Idukki, most of whom came to Munnar. But in 2020, after the lockdown opened, about 1.41 lakh tourists made their presence known in Munnar and other hill stations.
