Winter 2020: North India may witness colder winter this time! As the winter is approaching the country, the India Meteorological Department has hinted towards a colder winter this year. Talking to news agency ANI, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has said that if the parameters at a large scale are considered, ie the El Nino and the La Nina, then this year, India would witness rich La Nina conditions. That means, the temperature prevalent over the northern part of the country would be low, causing winters to be relatively colder.
El Nino and La Nina explained
According to the US’ National Ocean Service, El Nino and La Nina are part of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and are opposite phases. The ENSO cycle, it states, is a term to describe the temperature fluctuations between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial Pacific. While El Nino is referred to as the warm phase of ENSO, La Nina is described as the cold phase.
These deviations, the National Ocean Service states, could lead to large-scale impact on ocean processes as well as the global weather and climate. These episodes, of El Nino and La Nina, last usually between nine months to a year, but can also be prolonged and last for a few years.
The National Ocean Service also states that during a La Nina year, temperature during the winter is warmer as compared to normal in Southeast, and is cooler than normal in Northwest.
What does this mean for north India?
This means that the people in the northern part of India could witness colder than usual winters. It would be best to get your thick and warm winter clothes ready and in your closet, because the weather can be harsher due to intermittent waves of biting cold.
