Ahmedabad: It wasn’t just exertion that made Navratri revellers sweat on garba grounds last month. The mercury too played its part. Throughout Oct, the average maximum and minimum temperatures in Ahmedabad were 1°C and 1.9°C above normal, an analysis by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) shows.From Oct 1 to 31, Ahmedabad recorded an average maximum temperature of 36.7°C, while the average minimum temperature was 23.6°C, says the IMD data. Now compare these to Oct records between 1991 and 2020. The max was 35.6°C and the average minimum, 21.8°C. According to some online weather portals, the maximum temperature ranged from 31°C to 33°C from 2021-25.“Navratri is generally the time when the nights begin to get cooler, heralding the arrival of pleasant weather which is neither very hot nor very cold. This year, the region experienced northerly to northeasterly winds. Only a few days were recorded where both maximum and minimum temperatures were below normal,” said a meteorologist. “On several days, temperatures in Ahmedabad were like early summer days. In Oct, the city recorded five days with temperatures 38°C,” the meteorologist added.Oct waved goodbye showing effects of tropical storm Arnab. The system brought clouds, wind and respite. The IMD report indicated another severe cyclonic storm, Murasu, crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast on Monday. Gujarat also experienced the effect of a Western Disturbance in north India. On Sunday, Ahmedabad’s maximum temperature remained low at 33.6 degrees, which was 1.3 degrees below normal, whereas at 22.6 degrees, the minimum temperature was 3.5 degrees above normal.Gujarat will not see any major temperature changes, the IMD has forecast. Only Naliya recorded a minimum temperature of under 20°C on Sunday. It was 18.6°C.The maximum temperature across Gujarat remained in the 33°C-36°C range. Nov will be warmer than usual, IMD has said.
