JOIN USIt’s become a virtual hell for people in the city, whether indoors or outdoors.
Summer seems to have become unkind a little too early this time. It is next to impossible for the residents to come out of their homes after 9 am.
Experts say that the rising temperature is a common phenomenon across south India these days. So much so that even a hilly region like Kerala has seen the maximum temperatures in recorded history.
The maximum temperature has been recorded at 39.5 degrees Celsius in Vijayapura on March 12 this year, earlier than usual.
It has been on the upper side since the beginning of the month. The maximum temperature has hovered around 37 degrees Celsius, between March 9 and 14, except for a few days when it was 33-34 degrees Celsius.
H Venkatesh, a weatherman at the weather forecast station on the Hitnalli
Agriculture University premises here, told Deccan Herald that the 39.5 degrees Celsius recorded on the afternoon of March 12 was the highest this month.
According to Venkatesh, the temperature in the city - which is part of the heat island - is one or two degrees Celsius higher than his station. He says that the maximum temperature has been around 38 degrees Celsius in different parts of the State.
As per records at the weather forecast station, 44 degrees Celsius is the highest temperature ever in the district.
The highest temperature was between 40 degrees Celsius and 41 degrees Celsius between March 26 and 31 in 1996. It was 40 degrees Celsius on March 19, 21, 22 and 24 in 2004, said Venkatesh.
Air coolers and fans have proved just not enough for people in the city and the land is one big oven.
The hot sun rays singe the earth during the day and it emits back the heat it has trapped at night. This is heating up the air in the atmosphere, making it difficult for people to breathe.
The nights are indeed a nightmare as the heat makes it difficult for people to sleep, said Erappa Jakkannavar, a local trader.