Vijayapura residents bear the brunt as winter turns harsh, cold days forecast

Saturday was the coldest day this winter in the city and residents beat the cold by burrowing themselves in their blankets.

The minimum temperature here stood at 7.4 degrees Centigrade. Weathermen have warned of harsher days.

Many have given a go-by to the early morning walks, while some have delayed their daily departures for that hour of physical activity. Those with a 5 am schedule for the walk are going out only at 6.30 am or 7 am, wrapped in layers of warm woolies.

It’s been a freezing feeling at night for people in the district for the last few days, while it’s only colder at daybreak as the blankets seem just not thick enough. The chill is severe even at 9 am, say residents here.

Anoop, the four-year-old son of city resident Sudheendra Kulkarni, had to be given special treatment after he complained of breathlessness, a common complaint along with asthma these days.

People are not venturing outdoors in the evenings, unless it is inevitable. People are seen wearing sweaters, blazers, shawls, monkey caps, gloves, shoes and socks.

Stoves in the kitchens have turned temporary fireplaces for the people. Those without homes are resorting to burning roadside garbage for that much sought-after heat. 

Those bearing the brunt are farmers who till the fields, homemakers who have to wake up early to get household activities going, the paper boys, the milkmen and schoolchildren.

Extreme temperatures
There is also the problem of the other extreme, with the temperature rising above 30 degrees Celsius to 33-34 degrees Celsius in the afternoon sun.

The minimum temperature in the city was 7.5 degree Celsius on December 10, it spiked to 12 degrees Celsius on December 22 (Thursday), dipped to 9 degrees Celsius the next day and further slipped to 7.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

Dr H Venkatesh, head of the meteorological division of the Agriculture University here, said December 22-25 in 2007 were colder days with the minimum temperature recorded between 5.6 and 8.2 degrees Celsius.

The 5.6 degrees Celsius in that period is said to be the lowest minimum temperature recorded here in recent history. The figure for December 18 to 26 in 2010, was 6-8.9 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature was 7-10.6 degrees Celsius in the city in the period between January 7 and 16 in 2011.