Summer round the corner

BANGALORE: Bangalore is feeling the heat. Yes, summer is here, though not officially. India’s official summer begins in March, but in South India it sets in almost a month early.
“February is a transition period with cold winds from the North still blowing into the South. Though the official summer is from March 1, there is a seasonal lag between the north and south,’’ says Dr A.L.Koppar, Director of the Indian Meteorological Department. As the onset of summer draws closer, the days gradually grow hotter.
Over the next two or three weeks, cold spells will revisit Bangalore, he says. “The weather now is seasonal and there is a fluctuation of only one or two degrees, but it swings back to normal again.’’ Over the last two days, the minimum temperature has been around 17 degrees and maximum temperature around 29 or 30 degrees. With North India warming up after shedding the cold wave, South will get warmer too.
February is also a dry season with humidity during the noons dropping by as much as 30 per cent. During the early mornings, it is nearly 90 per cent and above. Your skin is not going to get too much respite from irritation and dryness, says Dr K.V. Nagendra Prasad of the Bangalore Allergy Centre. Moisture in the skin can’t be retained on the surface, because of the dryness and fogginess causing irritation on the forearms and exposed parts of the body.
Those susceptible to allergies better watch out. “Fungal spores may go up, while air-borne allergens are reduced. Irritation in the nose and a burning sensation result from this,’’ says Dr Prasad.
He suggests the use of masks in the early mornings and late evenings, so that nasal inflammation is not sparked off. For the skin, he suggests simple preventives like application of coconut oil or a cold cream.