Freaky winters caused by unusual wind pattern

SEASON SHOCK: This year's prolonged winters had the usually warm Mumbai, Kolkata shiver.

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New Delhi: In most parts of India February is a month to pack away the warm clothes. But going by the current weather scenario, experts say this pattern may well continue for many more winters to come.

This year saw Mumbai and Kolkata, cities known for their balmy weather even in the winter, shiver at 10 degrees celsius.

And not just India, but across the world the weather was cause for concern, severe snowstorms crippled parts of China and a tornado hit the US, causing serious damage. Experts say the cause for this 'freak weather' is an unusual wind pattern.

In normal winter, ridges & troughs keep moving to ensure normal temperatures, ridges of high & low pressure are responsible for normal weather. But this year a ridge of high pressure was formed over Central Asia, it remained stationary and forced the incoming winds to rise to a higher altitude with sub-zero temperatures.

The winds which are very cold by now, would come down the ridge and flow as if in a funnel all through the Indo-Gangetic plain, lowering temperatures substantially. Since these winds did not pass over the ocean, there was no moisture in them, hence there was trace of winter rain and also no fog this year.

Experts are not yet holding global warming as the cause for this unusual weather pattern.

Director Energy Envrionment Policy Division, TERI, TS Panwar says, "Because we are facing such weather, this issue has gained priority in the recent time. It will take a few years time, before we can assess the entire scenario & assess the detailed impact it will have on human health, weather condition and extreme events."

But weather is not expected to let up over the next few years.

Director General, TERI, Dr Rajendra K Pachauri says, "If you look at the data of a couple of decades the picture becomes quite clear, as the frequency of such events has increased than it happened in the past."

Water also figures heavily as an issue for European countries.

Minister of Environment Switzerland, Moritz Leuenberger says, "In Switzerland glaciers are melting, and the water is flowing down, the rocks are not able to hold themselves, therefore the mountains are breaking and therefore tourism is also being affected. Also the people living in the mountains are at great danger."

It might just be an extreme wake-up call as environmental concerns have just taken on a whole new meaning.