Winter could be colder this season due to prevailing La Nina conditions: IMD DG

Winter could be colder this season due to the prevailing La Nina conditions, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said on Wednesday.

He said there should not be an impression that climate change leads to rise in the temperature, but on the contrary, it leads to erratic weather.

"As weak La Nina condition is prevailing, we can expect more cold this year. The El Nino and La Nina conditions play a dominant role if you consider the large scale factor for the occurrence of cold wave conditions," Mohapatra said.

He was addressing a webinar on 'Cold Wave Risk Reduction' organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

"La Nina conditions are favourable for cold wave conditions, while El Nino conditions are unfavourable for it," he added.

Mohapatra said Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are among the states that mostly see deaths due to cold waves.

The IMD also releases a winter forecast every year in November which gives predictions on the severity of the winter season starting December to February.

La Nina is related to the cooling of the Pacific waters, while the El Nino is linked to its heating. Both factors are also believed to have an impact on the Indian monsoon.

For instance, 2020 witnessed an above normal monsoon with nine per cent excess rainfall. The winter season last year had long spells of cold waves.