While the Covid-19 cases are gearing up to the peak, the climatic condition becomes unendurable for man this September. The scorching sun rays extend the experience of hard summer of May by rising the atmospheric temperature up to 380C. The monsoon driven rainy season here in Odisha has lost its lustre of thrilling shower so far.
The rainy season has gradually been experiencing erratic attitude over the time and this year it seems to be extinct except some flash appearance. This situation when compared with a rainy season during decades back or more having continuum of rain, you may notice the magnitude of change.
The disruption in outdoor life due to week-long or fortnight-long rains then could corroborate the rainy season. In contrast, the piercing sun in rainy season now makes you home confined in summer-like days.Glimpses of rains for twice or thrice for periods of maximum two to three days in a month are perhaps going to finish up the rainy season this time.
Moreover, these rains are completely the low pressure induced what we saw during the past three consecutive low pressures in August. This clearly indicates that the changing pattern is persistent in monsoonal precipitation.
Though the climate scientists claim that the monsoon has attained the rainfall target, but what about the distribution pattern? Occasional occurrence of heavy rainfall, no doubt, fulfils the seasonal quota, but does not override the flood and drought situation. We have just experienced a series of severe flood situations in the month of August in many parts of Odisha, particularly in the deltaic regions due to the same reason.
In between, farmers in many parts of Odisha have witnessed the agricultural drought situation. You have a blue sky and shining sun over your head while the neck drowning flood water arrests you.
What to do when you find water below, sizzling sun outdoor and fear of Corona infection inside temporary shelter. Nevertheless, man has to pass through nature’s fury, pandemic outrage and extensive socio-economic-mental distress, and find out the way out.
The monsoon arrived with a predicted normalcy in Indian subcontinent with respect to time and rainfall quantity. The rainfall would be below normal in Odisha in the timely onset of monsoon as was forecasted by agencies like Potsdam Institute For Climate Impact Research (PIK) of Germany, Accu Weather of US, The South Asia Seasonal Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF) including IMD.
A cloudy sky with sprinkling rains in mid June was howled to have the monsoon reached in Odisha in time. However its short existence could not check the extended summer till July.
In turn, the State had received 122 per cent more rainfall during the period from March to May due to the impact of cyclone Amhan.In a dwindling state of predicting the time of arrival of monsoon in the State, it turned up in July first weak. July remained unfulfilled by targeted amount of rainfall. During August three numbers of low pressures could manage to shower heavily phase wise stretching over a period of two to three days each.
But the hot conditions of the environment did not find way out in such segregated rainfall. And finally, till this middle of the September, we have been feeling summer like situation without rain.
As per IMD, the circulation pattern of southwest monsoon remained uncertain and inconsistent in India for the past 50 years.
The annual and seasonal rainfall amount has been changing over the years and gradually becomes ineffective to regulating the atmospheric temperature and moisture. Also, you cannot overrule the impact of climate change to wreck the seasonal sanctity; else we would have not undergone the summer situation in rainy season.
Such unusual climatic changes not only invite the extreme weather events like cyclones, floods and droughts but also adversely affect the economy, agriculture, health and food availability.
The month of September in Bhubaneswar has witnessed a rise in temperature to a maximum of 380 C with an average of around 320C till its midst. The intense sunny days remain prolonged for weeks together in this rainy season.
May be the bouncing back of the traffic and means of livelihood in the post lockdown period has terribly affected the microclimate. People are suffering from many biological disorders due to such extreme and unusual climatic conditions.
A minute’s exposure to the sun may cause you burning like pain, restlessness, over sweating that lead to other health complicacies.
It so happens, neither can you tolerate social distancing for long period due to Covid nor can you enjoy in nature alone due to extreme climatic conditions. Abounded by these anthropogenic issues, it is high time that man has to think over the remedial measures.
(Dr Beura is Head, PG Department of Geology, Utkal University Email: debanandabeura@rediffmail.com)