“Cyclone (Vardah) has brought a lot of moisture, especially in central India, which has impacted the temperature. Then there is a Western Disturbance (WD) that is expected from December 19. So, temperatures rise a bit before that. However, the WD is also likely to bring snow and rain in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and not the complete northern belt,” Pai said.
Rajeevan said that although global warming is now becoming a worldwide phenomenon, factors like El Nino and La Nina also have effect on temperatures.
“Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in Indian Ocean is 0.5 to 0.6 degree higher and this also has effect on the winter.
Although La Nina (a phenomenon associated with cooling of Pacific waters) is at its nascent stage, this also has had an impact on winter. A full blown La Nina would have meant a colder winter,” Rajeevan said.
