Haveri/ Davanagere : The southwest monsoon is on the cusp of retreating from Karnataka , but the state’s central belt is already reeling under summer-like heat.
In Haveri, thinning clouds and clear skies have pushed the maximum temperature to 34°C, about 3°C above normal for the first week of October. Davanagere recorded a scorching 35°C on Monday, with both districts facing drought-like conditions. From June 1 to Oct 1, Haveri recorded 52% less rain than normal, with rainfall 40% below normal in July and 39.9% below normal in Aug.
“Lack of rain and prolonged sunshine have increased surface heating,” he said. The sharp rise has come during what should still be a moist transition from the rainy season to autumn. Amit G, technical officer at the Rural Agricultural Weather Service Centre at Babbur Farm in Hiriyur taluk, attributed the heat to lack of cloud cover and prolonged sunshine. “Rainfall deficiency, extended sunshine, reduced evaporation, increased soil temperature and low humidity are making the rainy season feel like summer. The heat comes against the backdrop of a severely deficient monsoon.
The impact is already visible on farms, with falling soil moisture putting agricultural and horticultural crops under stress. Farmers sowed maize and ragi despite the weak monsoon, but both crops now urgently need rain and are vulnerable to the heat.