Winter likely to be severe this time

HYDERABAD:  If April is the cruellest month of the year, November is the sweetest, for winter has set in and there’s no better time to be in Hyderabad than winter. Though the meteorological department hasn’t yet announced the onset of winter officially, there’s no denying the chill in the air in the past one week.The day temperature is hovering in the 30s touching a maximum of 31-32 and the night temperature has dipped to a minimum of 16 these past few days. The winter, meteorological department officials say, is likely to be severe this time compared to last year and stretch up to March.There’s one more reason for the low temperature this early in November. S Venkateshwara Rao, Assistant Meteorologist, says, “the current drop in temperatures at night is because of the monsoon winds flowing across the region from north-east India.”Hyderabad, well known for its dry weather, according to officials is not due to receive any rains, whereas south coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are expected to benefit from the north-east monsoon winds. “Those regions might experience some heavy rainfall. They may also witness some cyclones due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal,” Venkateshwara Rao said. The met department is likely to announce the onset of winter in a few days. The average weather during November over the years has been between 16 and 28 degrees Celsius. According to officials in the meteorological centre, Hyderabad, the weather could remain cold throughout the month in the mornings and evenings unless there is some low pressure build up in the Bay of Bengal which might heat up the region. Normally, January is the time when winter peaks in the city. This year in Jan, the city recorded temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius.