A dip in nighttime temperatures has signalled an early onset of winter in the hilly regions of Kerala, marking a departure from the previous year’s unusually humid and rainy winter, characterised by moisture incursion and intermittent rainfall in the hills till late January.
Although winter seems to be making an early entry in the State this time with a drop in day and nighttime temperatures, the State will have to wait till the second half of the month to feel the nip in the air.
The minimum temperature has dropped below the 20° Celsius mark in many places in the State in the past few days, which was 3 to 4° Celsius lower than the normal during the season. However, it cannot be construed as an early beginning of the winter, as the atmosphere over the State is still not stable. An unstable atmosphere will continue to trigger rainfall activity, although not heavy spells in the present milieu, said Neetha K. Gopal, Director, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Thiruvananthapuram.
“The present drop in temperature was mainly due to the existing cyclonic system in the Bay of Bengal, as the cloud cover associated with the system prevented the solar radiation from the sun from heating the crust of the earth in the State. Once the existing cyclonic system in the Bay of Bengal dissipates, the day and nighttime temperatures will come to the normal range, as the easterlies are still prevailing over the State. There would also be some light spells in two days due to an easterly wave. However, the quantity of rain will be minimal, as the intensity of the wind will be reduced drastically while crossing the mountain barrier and bringing not much moisture into the State,” she said.
“We are expecting the incursion of cold wind from the north in the second half of December, which will turn on the foggy mornings with a drop in temperature in the hills and valleys of the high range of the State. The monthly forecast issued by the IMD also indicates a normal winter season for the State in December, with minimum and maximum temperatures hovering around the long-period average value of Kerala. Similarly, the winter will not be felt much in the plains of Kerala due to the maritime effect,” she added.
The northeast monsoon rainfall is 21% less in Kerala this time as of December 1.
Published – December 01, 2025 08:56 pm IST
