Data compiled from school weather stations in Tirur have brought into sharp focus significant variations in micro-climatic conditions that will aid researchers and climate mitigation agencies get a better idea about events ranging from a drought-like situation in 2016 to extraordinarily heavy rain in the month of August since 2018.
This is the first time that micro weather data from school weather stations in a region are being compiled and brought out. The data cover the 10-month period between April 2023 and January 26 buttressed by older and reliable weather data available in the public domain.
250 weather stations
There are around 250 weather stations that have been set up in government and government-aided schools across Kerala. They are sources of strong regional and micro-level data that provide information on rainfall, humidity, wind conditions, atmospheric temperature etc. These weather stations are equipped with instruments of standards fixed by the Indian Meteorological department.
The data were compiled by students of Tirur Higher Secondary School and they reveal three significant developments on the climatic front. The compilation showed that the month of August saw heavy rains during the North-West Monsoon for 2016-2023 period. The data can directly be linked to the floods in August 2018 and 2019. But August 2023 witnessed the volume of monsoon rain drop considerably to about 39 mm. According to the school weather station data, cyclone Biparjoy weakened the monsoon.
The student weather watchers also found that the Tirur area had suffered drought-like conditions four times since 1976. Of them, 2016 was the severest. The rising heat in the area has also made Tirur standout as a typical example of climate change.
Meanwhile, Mumbai University has taken a cue from the school weather station programme in Kerala, said Suresh Kumar S. This follows a presentation on school weather stations in the State at an international meet of geographers recently in Pune, he added.
