Hyderabad: In 1948, Hyderabad was heating up in more ways than one. Sept 17 is remembered for marking the integration of Hyderabad into India. But another date that year is worth remembering: May 17, when the mercury touched 44.2°C — the second-highest maximum temperature recorded in Hyderabad in the past 78 years.The reading offered an early glimpse of a much hotter Hyderabad to come. What makes it more striking is that the city was then smaller, greener, far less built-up and had a fraction of its current population. Today, temperatures of 42°C and above are a familiar feature of Hyderabad summers.May is generally Hyderabad’s hottest month, and May 17 falls in the peak pre-monsoon heat period. But the city’s rocky terrain may also have contributed to the exceptionally high temperature recorded that day, said Sri Nagesh Battula, senior professor, Department of Geography, Osmania University.Geographically, the city now falls largely within the central zone, which includes Charminar and surrounding areas. These areas record average maximum temperatures about 4°C higher than the rest of the GHMC and its expanded areas. This is part of the urban heat index, Battula said.“The rising temperature pattern over the past few decades is clearly visible in our heat index study,” Battula said.Historical records show Hyderabad had already recorded high temperatures in the years preceding 1948. The mercury touched 42.6°C on May 29, 1944; 42.1°C on May 5, 1945; and 42.2°C on May 26, 1947.The 44.2°C recorded on May 17, 1948, was significantly higher than those readings. Hyderabad’s highest recorded temperature came later, when the mercury touched 45.5°C on June 2, 1966.Other major heat readings included 44.4°C in 1999, 44.5°C in 2010 and 44.3°C in 2015..Over the same period, Hyderabad itself changed dramatically. Its population expanded, built-up areas spread well beyond the Old City, and large stretches of open land gave way to roads, buildings and other infrastructure.Indian forces entered Hyderabad State on Sept 13 in Operation Polo. The military action ended on Sept 17, when Nizam Osman Ali Khan announced a ceasefire and accepted Hyderabad accession to the Indian Union.Yet, the 44.2°C reading had already been recorded in 1948, when Hyderabad was a fraction of the city it is today.
Source link
