November rains, rising seas and vanishing islands!

As Ahmedabad becomes a Mahabaleshwar with the temperature dropping from the normal 30 degrees Celsius to an unexpected 15 degrees in November, the morning mist settles down and the sight outside the window, early in the morning looks like Bangalore or Delhi or even Abu.

But it's good old Ahmedabad receiving cloudbursts, in a once-in-a-40-year occurrence.

This 'winter' in Ahmedabad is a welcome respite from the extended summer While climate change bestows a decent winter upon Ahmedabad, elsewhere, islands are going under and completely vanishing into the sea.

As climate change impacts the rise of sea levels the low lying islands like the New Moore Island of India in the Sunderbans is completely swallowed into the sea. 

The world famous tourist spot Maldives, known for its breathtaking beautiful beaches, is threatened into inexistence due to rising sea levels. It is perched dangerously no more than one metre above the rising sea level.

Such climate changes demand world attention since, the islanders who lived in Maldives for generations will soon become 'environmental refugees'. The first ever underwater cabinet meeting organized in Maldives suggests the urgency and the need for world focus on such matters of environmental change.

While many urban Amdavadis are enjoying the winter fog and sipping hot tea, there is a severe danger of the winter crop being spoilt due to the untimely rain, causing worry and panic among villagers and rumours are afloat that China is sending chemicals by air to India, causing acid rain! The unexpected November rain in Mumbai and Delhi too, threw the metros out of gear and caused people to offer vague explains of one odd shower during the 'Kartik' month!

While the famous international band Guns & Roses' chart topper 'November Rain' bears no relation to climate change, it is symbolic of unusual occurrences.

As the millions of inhabitants living on the islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman Nicobar Island or the Hawaiian and Cuban islanders are not immediately concerned with rising sea levels, the climate change is threatening the existence of rare bird and plant species on these islands.

Meanwhile, Amdavadis are not yet reacting quite right to the sudden November weather change.

A daytime temperature of 15 degrees would have caused people in the north to be well protected with warm clothes and shawls but Amdavadis are braving the weather change with summer clothing!

Even the winter chill factor is not causing the wind-cheaters and jackets to be flaunted! With years of environmental history of next to no winter, even though the past several years have seen a distinct winter with night time temperature under 10 degrees the local people have yet to brace up to the climate change with a full winter wardrobe.