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Himalayan Winters Warming Faster Than Summers, Study Reveals
18 Oct
Summary
- Coldest winter temperatures could rise over 6°C by 2100.
- Extreme cold conditions may diminish faster than heat intensifies.
- Frost and ice days are projected to significantly decrease.
The Himalayas may experience a significant warming of its coldest winter nights, with projections indicating a rise exceeding 6°C by the end of the century under high-emissions scenarios. This rapid warming of winter extremes suggests that extreme cold conditions could diminish faster than extreme heat intensifies across the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region.
The study, published in Theoretical and Applied Climatology, analyzed climate models for changes in rainfall and temperature. Researchers foresee a decrease in frost days and ice days, while unusually warm days and nights are expected to become more frequent. These shifts are projected to be more pronounced with higher greenhouse gas emissions.
Variations in warming are anticipated across the region. While the western Himalayas might see more pronounced increases in summer temperatures, the central and eastern parts could experience greater warming of winter lows. This indicates a substantial alteration in Himalayan temperature extremes, affecting both winter severity and summer intensity.
