Coimbatore: The mercury level touched a scorching 36.2 degrees Celsius even though it's only February.
This is the first time in five years that the city recorded a temperature of 36 degrees Celsius in February, an indication that Coimbatore is witnessing freaky weather. The cotton city witnessed the coldest night of the season with minimum temperature plummeting down to 13.5 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal this January 3.
Coimbatore also recorded the hottest July in a decade when the temperature stood at 33.8 degree Celsisus, unusual for a pre-monsoon month when temperatures are lower.
While some weather experts say it is just a random variation others say it could be an indicator of a specific pattern that takes place following an El Nino year.
The average temperature recorded in the city during February in the last 30 years has usually hovered around 32.3 degree Celsius through the month, according TNAU's data.
In fact, the first time the city recorded temperatures of 36 degree Celsius and above was on March 23 in 2015, March 18 in 2014 and March 28 in 2013. It was only way back in 2010 that 36.3 degree Celsius was recorded on February 26 and in 2009 when a temperature of 37 degree Celsius was recorded on February 27.
"This is just a random variation from the norm. It does not indicate a climate change because the average temperatures in the month have not increased," says the director of TNAU's Agro Climate Research Centre, S Paneerselvam.
But another expert said there seems to be a pattern in the weather in the years following an El Nino.
"Abnormally high temperatures are being noticed across the peninsula. For example, the country recorded its first 40 degree Celsius in Bhubaneshwar in February itself," says weather blogger Pradeep John.
The scorching sun has started impacting residents. The city police has begun distributing water packets, lime juice and butter milk to all the policemen on bandobust and traffic cops on the road.
Many people who step out early in the morning for a jog, karate classes or aerobics session at around 7.00am, now start out earlier to beat the heat.
"By the time we finish our workout at 8am in Thomas Park, it gets very hot. So now we start earlier and try to finish by 7.30am," said Mahima K, who does yoga every morning.
This is the first time in five years that the city recorded a temperature of 36 degrees Celsius in February, an indication that Coimbatore is witnessing freaky weather. The cotton city witnessed the coldest night of the season with minimum temperature plummeting down to 13.5 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal this January 3.
Coimbatore also recorded the hottest July in a decade when the temperature stood at 33.8 degree Celsisus, unusual for a pre-monsoon month when temperatures are lower.
While some weather experts say it is just a random variation others say it could be an indicator of a specific pattern that takes place following an El Nino year.
The average temperature recorded in the city during February in the last 30 years has usually hovered around 32.3 degree Celsius through the month, according TNAU's data.
In fact, the first time the city recorded temperatures of 36 degree Celsius and above was on March 23 in 2015, March 18 in 2014 and March 28 in 2013. It was only way back in 2010 that 36.3 degree Celsius was recorded on February 26 and in 2009 when a temperature of 37 degree Celsius was recorded on February 27.
"This is just a random variation from the norm. It does not indicate a climate change because the average temperatures in the month have not increased," says the director of TNAU's Agro Climate Research Centre, S Paneerselvam.
But another expert said there seems to be a pattern in the weather in the years following an El Nino.
"Abnormally high temperatures are being noticed across the peninsula. For example, the country recorded its first 40 degree Celsius in Bhubaneshwar in February itself," says weather blogger Pradeep John.
The scorching sun has started impacting residents. The city police has begun distributing water packets, lime juice and butter milk to all the policemen on bandobust and traffic cops on the road.
Many people who step out early in the morning for a jog, karate classes or aerobics session at around 7.00am, now start out earlier to beat the heat.
"By the time we finish our workout at 8am in Thomas Park, it gets very hot. So now we start earlier and try to finish by 7.30am," said Mahima K, who does yoga every morning.