Asia hit hardest by climate, weather disasters in 2023: UN
According to the report, in India, severe heatwaves in April and June resulted in about 110 reported fatalities due to heatstroke.
Even as some parts in the higher reaches of the state have experienced snowfall, Shimla is yet awaiting the first spell of snow.
Climate change has taken a toll on the phenomenon of early snow, with the snow days in Shimla witnessing a shrink. The weather data of the Metrological Department reveals that in the last 15 years the snowfall pattern has witnessed delay in snow and snowfall days getting shorter.
According to Metrological Department, Director Manmohan Singh said the overall snowfall season is shrinking with decreasing of seasonal snowfall and snowfall days in Himachal Pradesh. He said that the previous trend shows that the harsh winter, that usually started in November and ended in March, has shown a decline, with the seasonal winter days getting delayed and ending early.
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The linear trend of snowfall days in Shimla has also shown a compression, with not only decrease in snowfall but also the number of days.
Undergoing significant change, the liner trend of snowfall days in Shimla reveals that the snow days are shrinking, with a difference of 8 days in last 15 years, he said.
With the decrease in precipitation, the rain and snow both are on a decrease, with snow pattern in Shimla decreasing at 4 cm per year in Shimla, he maintained, adding that the snowfall pattern over Satluj catchment area too has shown a decrease of 3.8 cms per year.
Manmohan Singh attributed the changing trend to climate change in HP, which includes change in average weather conditions that include temperature, precipitation, winds and other factors, especially when the change lasts for a long period of time.
The linear trend of maximum temperatures at different stations in HP shows increase in temperatures in the winter season as well.
Increasing temperatures recorded from various stations reveal that at Kalpa in Kinnaur district the temperature increasing per year at a rate of 0.09, while, Shimla 0.13, Dharamsala in district Kangra at 0.10, Sunder Nagar in Mandi district at 0.09 and Bhuntar in Kullu district 0.06, revealed Manmohan Singh.
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