Many areas of northwest India may have a warmer winter season, owing to the expected subdued activity of western disturbances, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) office stated in an online press conference on Thursday.
"During the upcoming winter season (December 2022 to February 2023), below normal minimum temperatures are most likely over many parts of peninsular India and some parts of central India, and isolated parts of northwest India. Normal to above normal minimum temperatures are most likely over many parts of northwest India and most of northeast India," the IMD said.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the head of IMD, stated that northwestern India is anticipated to have higher-than-normal temperatures this winter due to expected reduced western disturbance activity and easterly wind penetration.
"The WD activity will be subdued. Hence, there will be less cloudiness and higher day temperatures. There could be penetration of easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal. It will lead to an increase in the minimum temperature but will not necessarily yield rainfall," Mohaptara was quoted as saying by PTI.
Mohapatra further said that temperature fluctuations might occur on a daily basis, and the influence on the wheat crop is dependent on the dynamic behaviour of the weather and the stages of the plant life cycle.
Wheat is more susceptible to high temperatures during the reproductive phases than vegetative ones.
The last two decades, from 2001 to 2010 and 2011 to 2020, have been the hottest on record since 1901, which is when meteorological officials started reporting such data. According to IMD data, the last 15 years have also seen 12 of the hottest years on record.
The 2016 winter was the warmest ever in India, with a minimum temperature deviation from normal of 0.94 degrees Celsius, as per the IMD data.