Temperature has dropped by 2 degree Celsius across the country compared with the same time last year, according to Senior Meteorologist with meteorology division, Tayba Buddha Tamang.

The drop was studied in the four stations in Sarpang, Samtse, Bumthang, and Thimphu on the first week of January.

Tayba Buddha Tamang said that normally the temperature drop was experienced from the month of December and January was the coldest month. “The temperature this year dropped in most of the places since the last week of December. There was a sharp drop in southern parts of Bhutan on morning of January 7.”

The Bhur station in Sarpang on January 8 recorded the temperature as 8 degree Celsius. Last year, during the same period the temperature did not drop below 10 degree Celsius.

The station in Sibsoo on January 7 recorded 9 degree Celsius temperature. In 2016 and 2017, temperature remained above 10 degree Celsius.

However, Tayba Buddha Tamang said that no stations in the country has broken the lowest temperature record

Bhutan experienced one of the coldest winter in 2013. In 2013, Thimphu saw a drop of -8.5 degree Celsius and -13.5 degree Celsius in Bumthang.

Winter weather depends on the western disturbance, which is the moist warm air blowing from the Mediterranean and to some extent from Arabian Sea. When there is weak western disturbance, wind normally blows from northern direction bringing cold dry air over the Himalayan Region.

“We are experiencing cold and dry weather condition across the country. Foggy weather towards the morning is also expected over the southern belt of Himalayan,” Tayba Buddha Tamang said.

The station in Semtokha has consistently seen a drop in temperature since December. On January 8, the temperature dropped to -8 degree Celsius. Last winter, around the same time, temperature in Semtokha did not drop below -7 degree Celsius.

“The prevailing cool and dry weather is expected to continue until there is strong western disturbance. The foggy conditions over the southern belt of Bhutan is expected to continue because of the cold wave conditions,” Tayba Buddha Tamang said.

Phurpa Lhamo

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