Adieu winter
Has winter bid goodbye early? May be, if the weather reports and predictions are to be believed.
Since last week, the chill in the air has dipped and while the nights are still quite cold, it is nowhere near freezing.
The Indian Meteorological Department also predicts the minimum temperate in Shillong to be around 3-5 Degrees Celsius above normal while the maximum temperate are a tad higher than normal for this time of the year.
The weather forecast predicts the minimum temperatures to be around 7-10 Degrees Celsius for this week, signalling the end of the prime winter days.
Is this a good sign? For Shillongites so used to the familiar sight of the white blanket spread around the landscape before sunrise, it is certainly not normal. The winter rain, occasionally witnessed in January, has also been elusive this time.
Perhaps, it is a sign of things to come in future with global warming and the likes. Perhaps, Shillong will not be as cold and as freezing as in the halcyon days, which elderly residents so fondly remember.
Comparisons are natural. The present generation would be unlikely to guess the struggle Shillongites had to put up every season in December and January. The charcoal braziers, the sun basking moments, the excuses to get away from bathing, and the double or triple rounds of woollens to cover every inch of the skin are some memories etched in the far corners of the grey cells. Adieu winter!
SHARING SPOILS : Children donning their football training jerseys perform drills at Dorbar Lawsohtun playground. The ground is used by Shillong Cricket Academy as well to train young cricketers. Lately, the ground has been teeming with children displaying fine sportsmanship and youthful exuberance. (ST)