Is India losing the spring in its step? | India News

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DEHRADUN: As Jan gave way to Feb, India found itself in what meteorologists describe as an “early spring-like” phase, the product of prolonged dry weather and unseasonably high temperatures.
According to IMD, Jan 2024 was the third-warmest on record, with average mean temperature of 18.9°C, and the fourth-driest since 1901, making it one of the most arid winter months in recent history.
Traditionally, March and April fell into the spring season, but as Feb unfolds with temperatures that feel more like April, data collated by global weather-watching agencies suggest that what was once a predictable passage from winter to summer is increasingly being rewritten by the forces of climate change. This trend, experts say, is more than an anomaly – it is indicative of a gradual but fundamental shift in India’s climate, one that could soon render the country’s traditional spring season obsolete.
Professor Anjal Prakash, research director at Bharti Institute of Public Policy at Indian School of Business (Hyderabad) and an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Cimate Change, a UN body) author, warned of the wider implications of a disappearing spring. “With shifting climate patterns, it is becoming increasingly evident that the cherished spring season, once a hallmark of renewal and agricultural vitality, is under threat,” he said.

April effect in Feb: Experts say India may soon lose its spring

Prakash added that these changes are disrupting traditional weather cycles, shortening spring, and altering its characteristic temperate conditions. “The impact extends beyond climate-agriculture, biodiversity, and cultural practices deeply rooted in seasonal transitions are at risk. Addressing this requires immediate, coordinated action to mitigate these effects and preserve the rhythm of our seasons,” he cautioned.
IMD’s outlook for this month predicts below-normal rainfall across the country, particularly in northern India, while both maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to remain above average. “We may see an early or even no spring season at all,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of meteorology and climate change at Skymet. “Weak Western Disturbances in Dec and Jan led to less snowfall and fewer winter rains. Additionally, humid and warm winds from the southwest and southeast blocked cold northerly winds, pushing minimum temperatures higher than usual.”
The Himalayan region has been particularly affected, with historically low snowfall. Mukhtar Ahmed, director of the regional meteorological centre in Srinagar, J&K, said winters are shrinking rapidly. “There is no snowfall here, and maximum temperatures have been 6-8°C above normal for three weeks. Winters, which traditionally lasted from Oct to March, are now confined to just Dec and Jan,” he said.
European think tank Climate Central has also highlighted a long-term trend – Feb warming rates have risen significantly in recent decades, causing a sudden shift from winter to summer. World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has already confirmed 2024 as the warmest year on record, with temperatures about 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. In northern India, winter is giving way to summer abruptly, eliminating the gradual transition of spring.
This winter season has seen severe precipitation deficits across the Himalayas. Since Jan 1, Uttarakhand recorded an 86% shortfall, followed by J&K (80%), Himachal Pradesh (73%) and Sikkim (82%). IMD data shows northwest and eastern India – barring eastern Rajasthan – recorded deficient to significantly deficient rainfall, while central India saw a 96% rainfall deficit in Jan.



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