Woollens are being pushed into far corners of the cupboard in city homes. Cold creams have stopped moving from the city shops' counters. Sultry summer is indeed creeping in and the common person feels that summer is back a little earlier than expected.
However, climatologists disagree, calling the phenomenon as a normal temperature increase phase that is expected in February — which is known as the month of transition. Dr Kamaljit Ray, director, Meteorological Centre, says, "This is one of the usual temperature changes that occur in February which is marked as the month of transition from winter to summer. In the month of transition it is normal that day and night temperatures have a range of at least 15 degree C.
In Ahmedabad, the night temperatures normally drop to 14 degree C while day temperatures rise up to 30 degree C to 32 degree C — and this pattern has continued.
Towards the end of February, night temperatures will also start to rise and day ones will range between 18 degree C and 19 degree C — which is a usual change in temperature."
Climatologists may call it a 'usual' change, but the city's citizens have a contrary perception. Shital Shah, 35, a home-maker, says, "We have packed away our woollens quite early this year.
Generally we used to put them away in the middle of February or a week prior to Holi. This time we stopped using them immediately after Uttarayan."
Similarly, Hansa Chauhan, 20, a student, says, "I have stopped using winter cream and have already started applying sunscreen lotion - a change which I and many of my friends practise every year towards the end of February."
Dr Shital Lodhia, a climatologist from Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research, says, "The temperature rise has happened a little faster and season change seems quite drastic this time. However, the weather reports and climate data do not support this perception at this stage. The kind of season change which is generally perceived during mid-February, has already occurred in the beginning of the month.”
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