GENERAL

CLIMATE

[The section on Climate is contributed by the Meteorological Department of the Government of India, Poona.]

Seasons.

The climate of this district is characterised by a hot summer and general dryness throughout the year except during the southwest monsoon season. The year may be divided into four seasons. The winter is from December to February. The hot season is from March to the middle of June. This is followed by the southwest monsoon season which extends upto the first week of October. The rest of October and November constitute the post monsoon season.

Rainfall.

Records of rainfall are available for only three stations in the district and each for a long period of 95 years. The details of rainfall at these stations and for the district as a whole are given in tables 2 and 3. The average annual rainfall in the district is 1090.3mm (42.93") out of which rainfall during the period from June to September amounts to about 87 per cent., July being the rainiest month. The rainfall generally increases from the west to the east in the district. The rainfall during the year, outside monsoon months, even though low is well distributed among different months. During the fifty year period from 1901 to 1950 the highest annual rainfall amounting to 153 per cent of the normal occurred in 1933. The lowest annual rainfall which was only 49 percent of the normal occurred in 1920. In the same fifty year period the annual rainfall was less than 80 per cent of the normal in 8 years out of which two years were consecutive. Considering the rainfall at the individual stations, rainfall of less than 80 per cent of the normal in two consecutive years occurred thrice at Arvi and once each at Wardha and Hinganghat. It will be seen from table 2 that the annual rainfall in the district was between 900 and 1400 mm (35.43" and 55.12") in 37 years in the fifty year period.

On an average there are 56 rainy days (i.e., days with rainfall of 2.5 mm.—10 cents.—or more) in a year in the district. This number varies from 52 at Arvi to 57 at Hinganghat.

The heaviest rainfall in 24 hours recorded at any station in the district was 312.9 mm (12.32") at Hinganghat on July 18, 1913.

Temperature.

There is no meteorological observatory in the district. As the climatic conditions in the neighbouring districts are similar to those in this district the account that follows is mainly based on the records of the observatories in the neighbouring districts. Temperatures increase steadily from about the beginning of March. May is the hottest month of the year with the mean daily maximum temperature at about 42° C (1076°F) and the mean daily minimum, at about 28° C (82.4°F). On individual days the maximum temperature rises to about 47° C (116.6°F). The heat in the summer season is severe during the day, but the nights are comparatively cooler. The afternoon heat is sometimes relieved by thundershowers. With the onset of the southwest monsoon by about the middle of June, there is an appreciable drop in day temperatures and the weather becomes pleasant. With the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon by about the first week of October the day temperatures increase slightly and there is a secondary maximum in day temperatures in October. The night temperatures, however, decrease progressively after September. After October both day and night temperatures decrease rapidly till the end of December, which is the coldest month with the mean daily maximum temperature at about 28° C (82.4° F) and the mean daily-minimum at about 15° C (59.0° F). In the wake of western disturbances which move across North India in the cold season, the district is sometimes affected by cold waves, and the night temperatures at times go down to about 5° C (41.0° F).

Humidity.

The air is generally dry over the district except during the southwest monsoon season when the humidities are generally above 70 per cent. The summer months are the driest when the relative humidity goes down to about 20 per cent in the afternoons.

Cloudiness.

During the southwest monsoon months the skies are heavily clouded to overcast. In the rest of the year the skies are mostly clear or lightly clouded.

Winds.

Winds are generally light to moderate with some strengthening in force during the latter part of the hot season and during the southwest monsoon season. In the post-monsoon and cold seasons winds blow mainly from directions between north and east. In the summer season wind directions are variable, winds from the southeast and east being the least common. During southwest monsoon season winds blow mostly from directions between southwest and northwest.

Special weather phenomena.

In association with monsoon depressions which originate in the Bay of Bengal and move westwards across the central parts of the country, the district experiences strong winds and widespread heavy rains. Thunderstorms occur in all months of the year, their frequency being the highest in June and the least during the months from November to January. Dust-storms are very rare, but do occur sometimes during the hot season.

Table Nos. 2 and 3 give details about normals and extremes of rainfall and frequency of rainfall, respectively.

TABLE No. 2.

NORMALS AND EXTREMES OF RAINFALL FN WARDHA DISTRICT

(a) Normal rainfall in mm. (b) Average number of rainy days (days with rain of 2.5 mm or more). *Based on all available data upto 1959. **Years given in brackets.

TABLE No. 2.- contd

NORMALS AND EXTREMES OF RAINFALL FN WARDHA DISTRICT

(a) Normal rainfall in mm. (b) Average number of rainy days (days with rain of 2.5 mm or more). *Based on all available data upto 1959. **Years given in brackets.

TABLE No. 3.

FREQUENCY OF ANNUAL RAINFALL IN WARDHA DISTRICT

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