Analysis of Temperature Trends and Variability in Eastern Himalaya: Evidence from Sikkim

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70917/jcc-2025-030

Keywords:

climate variability, seasonal temperature, temperature trends, sikkim himalaya

Abstract

The study examines temperature patterns in Sikkim for an extended period, using 72 years (1951-2023) of IMD gridded data. Several statistical methods, including Coefficient of Variation, Analysis of Variance, Moving Average, Standardized Anomaly Index, and Regression analysis, were applied to explore the trends and variability across mean, minimum, and maximum seasonal temperatures. Results reveal a significant warming tendency in monsoon and post monsoon seasons, with minimum temperatures showing the highest variability. Extreme hot anomalies are rising in recent years which are more pronounced in the cases of monsoon and post monsoon seasons. Maximum winter temperature shows a declining trend, where mean and minimum temperatures are rising but not statistically significant. On the other hand, summer temperatures have been relatively stable over the decades. These temperatures shifts are critical for the livelihoods of rural population who heavily depend on natural resources. These outcomes emphasize the urgent need of climate adaptation strategies and enhanced monitoring and early warning systems to support sustainable development in this vulnerable mountain region.

Author Biographies

  • Jyotirmayee Sarkar, Department of Humanistic Studies, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU)

    Ms. Jyotirmayee Sarkar is a Research Scholar at Department of Humanistic Studies, IIT (BHU), Varanasi. She obtained Post Graduation Degree in “Geography and Applied Geography” from University of North Bengal, West Bengal, India. Ms. Sarkar has a keen interest in Climate Change studies with focus of impact of climate changes on livelihoods. She has attended conferences related to environmental changes. 

  • Yash Nayan, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU)

    Mr. Yash Nayan is a M.Tech student at the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT (BHU), Varanasi.

  • Dr. Amrita Dwivedi, Department of Humanistic Studies, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU)

    Dr. Amrita Dwivedi obtained her PhD from Banaras Hindu University, India, and pursued her postdoctoral research in the Civil Engineering Department of the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanistic Studies at IIT (BHU) Varanasi. Her research interests focus on the field of environmental studies, especially in sanitation and health, waste management, housing and hygiene. She has also supervised 6 M.Sc. thesis. She is a Reviewer of different Journals like: Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, Waste Management & Research (WM&R) etc. She has developed undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She has published 18 research    papers    in    refereed Journals, 07 in Conference Proceedings, 07 Book Chapters,   and   03   Books.

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Published

2025-12-16

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Vol. 11 No. 4 (2025)

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Copyright (c) 2025 Jyotirmayee Sarkar, Yash Nayan, Dr. Amrita Dwivedi (Author)

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Analysis of Temperature Trends and Variability in Eastern Himalaya: Evidence from Sikkim. (2025). Journal of Climate Change, 11(4), 22. https://doi.org/10.70917/jcc-2025-030