Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Oct 26: As though winter has skipped the calendar following the monsoon, intense heat has been troubling people across coastal Karnataka through September and October. With temperatures rising daily, residents are struggling with oppressive weather. The extreme thirst and fatigue usually felt from December onwards are being experienced right now, leading to massive demand for cold drinks, tender coconuts, and sugarcane juice at roadside stalls. The abnormal climatic shift has left locals worried and distressed.

While the arrival of winter after the monsoon is the natural seasonal pattern, this year winter feels like peak summer. Sweltering heat makes it nearly impossible to step out around midday, leaving people drenched in sweat. Daytime temperatures over the past two days have hovered between 28°C and 30°C—levels typically recorded during past summers. Residents have expressed concern that these sudden weather fluctuations could trigger illnesses.

Heaps of tender coconuts have appeared at petty shops in Gurupura, Kaikamba, and Vamanjoor, with vendors selling local varieties as well as orange/red tender coconuts (kendale bonda). Along the road from Kaikamba towards Bajpe, around six to seven sugarcane juice stalls have popped up on both sides. Piles of coconuts stocked in front of stalls in the morning are cleared by evening. Commuters travelling in cars and other vehicles purchase coconuts and sugarcane juice without hesitation at quoted rates before moving on. By evening, ice cream parlours draw large crowds. Across retail points, cold beverages are witnessing soaring demand.

Ordinarily, the demand for tender coconut, sugarcane juice, lemon soda, sharbat, ice cream, buttermilk, and other chilled beverages peaks between December and April. This year, however, demand spiked as early as September and October. On certain days, stocks sell out completely. A vendor from Kaikamba noted that drizzle or light showers only drives up the thirst for cold refreshments further. While prices remain normal at present, tender coconut rates may increase in the coming days to keep pace with demand.