There is April showers or April rains in south India. As the name suggests, it occurs in April. It comes ahead of the southwest monsoon that sets in on the southern coast of India in June.
It's also called Mango showers, Coffee showers, Blossom showers etc., because they play a role in agriculture. It's called Summer showers because it comes in the peak of summer and cools the air.
Since Bengaluru is located around 900 meters or 3,000 feet above sea level, it traditionally has had a very salubrious climate, with maximum temperatures even during summer just over 30 C or 86 F.
But the IT boom over the past two decades and the consequent construction activities, combined with worldwide climate change, has significantly altered the weather patterns with the city getting warmer every year.
This year's summer was the worst. From March onwards, the maximum temperature was between 35 C / 95 F and 40 C / 104 F. So much so that we didn't have any April showers this year!
In fact, the month of April was the driest in the last 41 years. There was just no rainfall in the whole month! The last time Bengaluru had a rain-less April was in 1983.
Over the last few days, temperature has dipped a bit. There has been showers, moderately heavy, in the evening and night, lasting for a few hours.
These rains should have been in April and not in May.
There was a time when we could predict weather with reasonable accuracy. But not anymore!
Now, how will be the monsoon? Will that too be an extreme phenomenon? We are keeping our fingers crossed.
Here, we have Kodai mazhai sometimes, that too in May mostly.
ReplyDeleteHi Rajesh - Okay. I haven't heard of this term.
DeleteWe had way more rain than usual. We probably got your April showers (although, more like in February).
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteWeather everywhere is going crazy...YAM xx
Hi Yamini - It's become quite unpredictable.
DeleteIt is quite obvious to most of us that the climate has changed, and while it seemed to happen slowly in years past, it has now sped up. Just an hour ago I heard that the monsoons in northern tropical Australia haven't ended yet, as they would have done in 'normal' years.
ReplyDeleteAs Rajni Kanth would say even if April showers were late it came with latest fashion.
ReplyDeleteHi Rajan - That is good one!
DeleteI read about the water crisis in the city, if now we do not take measures now, I believe it would only get worse
ReplyDeleteHi Pooja - The borewells were drying up. The rains have come as a relief for many people.
DeleteBangalore has been scorching this summer. Climate change is upon us. Thank god for the May rain, even if not so heavy yet.
ReplyDeleteHi Arpita - I am told the monsoon this time might be quite heavy.
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ReplyDeleteWeather preferences are SO personal. You suggest that temperatures just over 30c are salubrious; my husband who grew up in a snowy country finds 18c perfect and 22c starting to be intolerable.
Hi Hels - Yes, it's all very subjective. Here too in Bengaluru what we call "hot', isn't hot at all some other parts of the country!
DeleteHi Pradeep - being brought up in a temperate climate and being told on going to South Africa in the late 1970s - it rains at 4.00 pm every day ... life has definitely changed - this year we've had lots of rain ... but we've had drought years in May too ... where we're heading - who knows ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary, yes, weather patterns across the world have changed drastically.
DeleteThe climate has undergone sea change all over the world. We either mend our ways or see the world collapse.
ReplyDeleteOh! Yes, indeed, Tomi.
DeleteOh, best wishes. And thanks for teaching me a new word: salubrious. :D
ReplyDeleteHi Darla.. Thank you :-)
DeleteBetter late than never!
ReplyDeleteYes! Now everyone says the monsoon might be quite heavy this time! .. Let us see.
ReplyDeleteHave always wanted to visit this place for a while now!
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