India logs the most significant and drastic shifts in weather patterns in March

In March of this year, India experienced some notable and significant variations in its weather patterns when compared to historical averages. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded that the first two weeks of March were unusually hot, while the second half of the month saw some of the coolest days in recent years. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the low temperatures in the latter half of the month may have put it among the top ten coldest March months in the past 73 years.

An early development of anti-cyclonic circulation in mid-March brought one of the earliest and most substantial heatwaves in India, which was caused by temperatures in the plains of North India that were at least 10 degrees Celsius above normal between March 13 and 19. The Himalayan states experienced even higher temperatures, with some areas recording temperatures up to 15 degrees Celsius above normal. The rest of the country was also warmer than usual, with temperatures above normal by at least 5 to 10 degrees Celsius.

However, by March 29, India’s average maximum temperature had dropped to 30.35 degrees Celsius, which was below the 1981-2010 average for this time of year. This temperature was considered usual by the IMD. March was also the 12th coolest month since 1951, which was the first time that IMD gridded data had been used. This was in stark contrast to the previous month, which was the 13th warmest in over seven decades.

Interestingly, the IMD had not forecast March to be a cool month, as they had predicted that it would be warmer than usual by the end of February. However, after the first two weeks of March, temperatures began to drop in most parts of the country, with each day being at least 1.3 degrees Celsius cooler than normal, according to Hindustan Times.

The report attributed the cooler temperatures to two active western disturbances, cyclonic circulations over Rajasthan, and a region of low pressure over the south and east central part of India, based on IMD data. Additionally, the westerly winds of over 100 km/hr, along with moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea due to anti-cyclonic circulation, led to sustained rainfall and thunderstorms, and even hailstorms.