Reeling under sizzling heat, Bengaluru has recorded the highest ever maximum temperature for April in 85 years at 39.2 degree Celsius and is hotter than Delhi in the last five days.
"Today, we have recorded the highest-ever maximum temperature of 39.2 degree Celsius for the month of April. It has broken the previous all-time record of 38.3 degree, recorded on April 30, 1931," Meteorological Regional Observatory Director-in-Charge Geeta Agnihotri told reporters.
"This time Bengaluru is hotter than Delhi. Its temperature is in the range of 37 degree Celsius, and we (Bengaluru) have been recording 38 degrees for the last four to five days," she said.
"It (Bengaluru) has surpassed the highest-ever value of 38.9 degree Celsius that was recorded on May 22, 1931. This observatory has been recording temperature from 1867," she said.
For the last couple of days, she said, Bengaluru has been recording maximum temperature of 3-4 degrees above normal.
Giving reasons for Karnataka experiencing sizzling heat, Agnihotri said it is due to very strong El Nino conditions recorded in 2015 in the subcontinent and absence of convective activity.
"There is an increase in the temperature throughout the state due to very strong El Nino conditions, which were there in 2015, and this global phenomena is affecting the Indian subcontinent throughout," she said.
El Nino is warming of the Pacific Ocean as part of a complex cycle linking atmosphere and ocean. It sees a huge release of heat from the Pacific Ocean into the atmosphere, which can disrupt weather patterns around the world.
"Even the Indian Meteorological Department had forecast higher than normal temperatures during summer seasons sometime on March 31," she said.
"There is a complete absence of convective activity in the atmosphere, which has led to rising temperatures, forcing the rains to play truant in this season", she said.
Giving reason for the absence of convective activity, Agnihotri said it is due to lack of moisture over land areas.
"The absence of convective activity is because of lack of moisture over land areas. So, the two anti-cyclones in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, positioned during this seasonis unable to pump in sufficient moisture over the land area.
As a result, there is no rains and therefore, the temperature is continuously increasing," she said.
