Bengaluru sweats it out in unusually warm March, mercury hits highest level in 5 years

This is the second time in five years when the temperature in Bengaluru has touched 36 degrees Celsius in the first ten days of March, an IMD scientist explained.

Temperature in Bengaluru peaked at 36 degrees Celsius in the first week of March.

After a warm February, Bengaluru residents have found March to be hotter than usual with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributing it partly to the fact that the El Nino phenomenon – caused by increased surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean – continues to persist. This is the second time in five years that the city has seen such high temperatures in early March.

According to A Prasad, scientist at IMD, Bengaluru, “El Nino is now in the moderate stage. When it started (at the end of last year) it was severe. We can expect it to continue in the summer season and then come down… Because of this effect, along with clear skies and calm winds, temperatures are 2 to 3 degrees above normal (including minimum temperatures).”

Temperature in Bengaluru peaked at 36 degrees Celsius in the first week of March. “It is not the first time that March has seen such temperatures, but it is typically not in the first week. Usually, these temperatures are seen around the third or fourth week of March. This is the second occasion in the last five years or so where it has touched 36 degrees in the first ten days of the month,” Prasad explained.

Story continues below this ad

Residents can, however, hold out hope for summer showers to cool the city down. “In March, Bengaluru has to get 14.7 mm of rainfall and the state as a whole generally receives 10.5 mm of rainfall… There are chances for this in the third or fourth week of the month. If this happens, it will bring down the temperature,” the scientist said.

February also saw high temperatures within the first ten days of the month, with a peak temperature of around 34 degrees Celsius and average temperatures being 1.2 degrees above normal for that period.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram