The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Monday predicted significantly lower-than-normal temperatures and light rain in Bengaluru for the entire first week of December due to Cyclone Ditwah on the Tamil Nadu coast.
The IMD bulletin forecast generally cloudy skies until Tuesday and likely moderate rain. It also said that mist is very likely during early morning hours in some areas. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 21 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The forecast until Wednesday is similar, with the maximum temperature rising marginally by one degree to around 22 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius is nearly six degrees below normal for the season, while the minimum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius is 1.5 degrees below normal.
On Sunday, the maximum temperature in Bengaluru was 21.6 degrees Celsius, which is 5.8 degrees below normal and the minimum, 18.4 degrees Celsius, was 1.2 degrees below normal.
The mean maximum temperature in December in Bengaluru over the last 15 years is 26.9 degrees Celsius, while the minimum has been 16.4 degrees Celsius.
The IMD’s rain forecast for the city on Monday is light rain with sustained wind (30-40 kmph). The rest of the week is also expected to see light to moderate rain.
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Cyclone Ditwah has caused severe damage in Sri Lanka, leading to over 300 deaths and hundreds of people missing. The cyclone moved parallel to the Indian coast, ultimately weakening into a deep depression and then a mere depression, without making landfall in India.
Bengaluru has seen a significant dip in temperature below normal since November 27, when cyclonic conditions set in over the Bay of Bengal. The city’s maximum temperature has dropped by 2-6 degrees below normal since November 27.
The lowest minimum temperature ever recorded in Bengaluru is 7.8 degrees Celsius on January 13, 1884, as per the IMD’s historical records.
The lowest minimum temperature recorded in December over the last 15 years was 12.8 degrees Celsius on December 24, 2011.