Assessment of Seasonal Variations in Cool and Warm Temperature Extremes in Chhattisgarh, India
Gowtham S
*
Department of Agrometeorology, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur, Chhattisgarh-492012, India.
Dhanapriya M
Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand – 835215, India.
Gopi Krishna Das
Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand – 835215, India.
Nickey Agrawal
Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand – 835215, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The seasonal changes in temperature extremes—cool and warm days (TX10P and TX90P) and nights (TN10P and TN90P)—across Chhattisgarh's agro-climatic zones are evaluated in this research before and after 1986, a worldwide standard for rapid climate change. The study, which makes use of long-term climate data and standardized indices suggested by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), shows that, especially in the Bastar Plateau and Chhattisgarh Plain Zones, the frequency of warm days and nights has significantly increased while the frequency of cool night events has decreased. The research also examines variations in the frequency of moderate and severe droughts, revealing that although severe droughts were more localized, moderate droughts increased generally after 1986. These changes in climatic patterns are strongly linked to threats to agriculture, particularly the productivity of rice, which emphasizes the urgent need for climate adaptation plans tailored to individual regions. The results provide a thorough, seasonal, and district-level investigation of climatic extremes and their possible effects on the state's food security, therefore addressing a significant gap in prior studies.
Keywords: Chhattisgarh, temperature extremes, seasonal variation, pre- and post-1986, agro-climatic zones, climate change