PUNE: The summer month of March has arrived since a week, but the accompanying temperatures are yet to make their presence felt in the city.
The rains and snow over north India have caused a sudden dip in temperatures up till central India, including parts of Maharashtra, with the minimum temperature coming down to 14.6°C in Shivajingar on Saturday morning.
Maximum temperature also slipped below 30°C on Friday, with Shivajingar and Lohegaon recording almost 4°C less than what they would normally be during this time of the year. The mercury dip has also caused an expected surge in upper respiratory tract infections as well as cold and cough, doctors said.
On Saturday as well, maximum temperatures remained below normal, with Shivajinagar recording 31.8°C, around 2.9° below normal, and Lohegaon staying at 32.6°C, around 2.4° below normal.
Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune, told TOI the sheer number of western disturbances over northwest India lately had been bringing in cool spells over many parts of the country. “Temperatures rise while the western disturbance approaches northwest India but fall soon after its passage. This has also led to snow and rainfall over northern parts of the country. The result has been that cold northwesterly winds have been flowing over parts of the country, including north Maharashtra, along with westerly winds from the Arabian sea, causing temperatures to fall here,” he said.
Kashyapi said due to the wind discontinuity between Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra, Pune city and the district were also witnessing partly cloudy skies. “This, along with the northwesterly and westerly wind flow, is likely to keep temperatures on the milder side in the city and district this weekend,” he said.
The average number of western disturbances over northwest India during January and February each is about five to six, but this year, almost 20 have affected that region during the two months.
An IMD official said, “Temperatures are still quite high in the state, enough to check Covid-19 spread. Even though it is still being debated, it is thought that very low temperatures are conducive to the spread of this virus. However, since the average temperature in Maharashtra is around 24-25°C, there could be little chance of the contagion spread here.”
Doctors in the city said the mercury dip had caused a rise in infections. Arati Shahade, a consultant physician, said, “We have seen a surge in upper respiratory tract infections. The fall in temperature during early mornings and a rise in temperature during the noons have been responsible for this. As against 1-2 patients I was seeing per day complaining of cold, cough and fever symptoms, the number has gone up to 9-10 per day now, “ she said.
The rains and snow over north India have caused a sudden dip in temperatures up till central India, including parts of Maharashtra, with the minimum temperature coming down to 14.6°C in Shivajingar on Saturday morning.
Maximum temperature also slipped below 30°C on Friday, with Shivajingar and Lohegaon recording almost 4°C less than what they would normally be during this time of the year. The mercury dip has also caused an expected surge in upper respiratory tract infections as well as cold and cough, doctors said.
On Saturday as well, maximum temperatures remained below normal, with Shivajinagar recording 31.8°C, around 2.9° below normal, and Lohegaon staying at 32.6°C, around 2.4° below normal.
Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune, told TOI the sheer number of western disturbances over northwest India lately had been bringing in cool spells over many parts of the country. “Temperatures rise while the western disturbance approaches northwest India but fall soon after its passage. This has also led to snow and rainfall over northern parts of the country. The result has been that cold northwesterly winds have been flowing over parts of the country, including north Maharashtra, along with westerly winds from the Arabian sea, causing temperatures to fall here,” he said.
Kashyapi said due to the wind discontinuity between Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra, Pune city and the district were also witnessing partly cloudy skies. “This, along with the northwesterly and westerly wind flow, is likely to keep temperatures on the milder side in the city and district this weekend,” he said.
The average number of western disturbances over northwest India during January and February each is about five to six, but this year, almost 20 have affected that region during the two months.
An IMD official said, “Temperatures are still quite high in the state, enough to check Covid-19 spread. Even though it is still being debated, it is thought that very low temperatures are conducive to the spread of this virus. However, since the average temperature in Maharashtra is around 24-25°C, there could be little chance of the contagion spread here.”
Doctors in the city said the mercury dip had caused a rise in infections. Arati Shahade, a consultant physician, said, “We have seen a surge in upper respiratory tract infections. The fall in temperature during early mornings and a rise in temperature during the noons have been responsible for this. As against 1-2 patients I was seeing per day complaining of cold, cough and fever symptoms, the number has gone up to 9-10 per day now, “ she said.
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