25 May 2006

Getting colder and wetter

This is the mildest summer we have had at Arunachala in many years. Although admittedly it is still quite toasty, the average daytime temperature this past week, the supposedly hottest time of the year, has been only 34.8c (94f) with the night temperature averaging 25.5c (78.4f). Compare this to previous April and May statistics (the hottest months of the year) when temperatures regularly soared above the 40c (108.75f) mark.

This temperature deficiency combined to the fact that the last monsoon season was the wettest in 20 years, raises a lot of disturbing questions. Is it getting colder and wetter in this part of Tamil Nadu? What difference will this make to agriculture in the area? Last year a lot of indigenous crops like banana got devastated because of excess rain and little sunshine.

So, are we now experiencing the affects of the change in global weather here at Arunachala? And if we are, how will it affect the lives and agricultural traditions of the local folk?

1 comment:

Divyakka said...

Fascinating that the summers are milder & wetter there! Weather all over the world, is getting more and more drastic and unpredictable. And to answer your questions, most definitely the weather changes will affect the agriculture. The unpredictability of the seasons is the biggest hurdle. Otherwise, if noticeable changes are noted beforehand, different crops could be grown, ones that adjusted better to present conditions. People in general and farmers in particular, have to learn how to adjust, as much as possible, to the weather changes in the world.