North India getting hotter, drier, South wetter: A study of 70-year climate trends uncovers worrying climate shift
Maharashtra's Marathwada and west Vidarbha, already ravaged by drought and farmer suicides, have moved into a hotter, drier climate zone, the IMD study showed.
India's climate is undergoing significant changes, with the north becoming hotter and drier while the south is getting wetter, according to a new study. Researchers from the Indian Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology analyzed rainfall and temperature trends over the past 70 years. The study found that parts of north India shifted from temperate to arid steppe and from tropical Savannah to temperate, hot-summer climates between 1961 and 2020.
This transformation is primarily due to a rise in temperatures and a decrease in rainfall, covering nearly 7% of the region. Meanwhile, the peninsular region, excluding Maharashtra's Vidarbha and Marathwada areas, moved towards a wetter climate zone, from arid steppe hot to tropical savannah. However, interior Maharashtra, including these two regions, experienced a shift to a hotter, semi-arid zone due to rising temperatures.
This changing climate could lead to food safety issues and population displacement, particularly in Maharashtra's interior. Scientists attribute these changes to the negative phase of the Victoria Mode, which influences rainfall patterns, and emphasize the need for climate adaptation strategies in agriculture and regional planning.
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