Produced by: Manoj Kumar
The warm start to December has delayed winter’s arrival, causing weather patterns to resemble August or September, disrupting the natural cycles of flora and fauna.
Native trees like semal and palash, which should shed their leaves by now, remain green. Wildlife biologist Faiyaz Khudsar warns this could harm their flowering and regeneration cycles.
The absence of winter’s chill has allowed mosquitoes to thrive, prolonging vector-borne disease risks—a seasonal relief that Delhi may miss this year.
House lizards, typically hibernating by Diwali, remain active on walls. Field biologist Sumit Dookia attributes this anomaly to higher-than-normal temperatures.
Butterflies, usually dormant by December, are fluttering around as actively as in August, signaling disruptions in their lifecycle and the ecological balance.
Warmer conditions are forcing certain species and habitats to shift altitudes to escape the heat. This “range shift” could have long-term impacts on biodiversity.
The volume of migratory waterfowl is alarmingly low. Environmentalists fear this may indicate broader disruptions in migratory patterns caused by unseasonal warmth.
The dormancy vital for plants in Delhi’s dry deciduous forests is missing. Without shedding leaves, plants risk weaker growth and health in the coming seasons.
Warm winters could lead to a domino effect on ecosystems. Wildlife biologist Sohail Madan warns that dormant cycles disrupted now may create lasting damage in future seasons.