GUWAHATI, Dec 21 - Difference between the maximum (day) and the minimum (night) temperatures in the nation are now decreasing, says the Climate Profile of India prepared by the India Meteorology Department (IMD).
Disclosing this, Deputy Director General of Meteorology (DDGM) here Dr Sanjay O�Neil Shaw told this newspaper on Wednesday evening that this is what has been reducing the intensity of the chill in the atmosphere during this winter season. Earlier, during this period of the year, a shivering chill was felt in the atmosphere and people used to flock to bonfire events to warm themselves up in the evening hours. But, compared to that condition, chill has lost its teeth these days.
Dr Shaw maintained that denudation of the forest cover and proliferation of RCC structures have made the urban areas of the country, particularly its cities, heat islands. Since loss of forest cover has exposed these areas to direct solar radiation and the RCC structures, after receiving the solar heat, radiate the heat in their turn, the atmosphere becomes more hot.
Air conditioners are also radiating heat and thus adding more heat to the atmosphere, he said.
Night temperatures are also maintaining an increasing trend because of the above phenomena, he added.
On the issue of blankets of dense fogs engulfing many parts of the NE region these days, he said that at present the atmosphere in stable in the lower level here due to strong temperature inversion. This condition is favourable to fog formation. Moreover, it is observed that intensity of occurrence of fog has also increased this year.
It needs mention here that dense fogs have caused a lot of road mishaps and several people are killed, while several others sustained injuries in such accidents in the State.
