Cold unlikely to return to Maharashtra till December-end: IMD

PUNE: Cold is unlikely to return to Maharashtra interiors, including Pune, at least till month-end, with Met department's extended range forecast indicating that minimum temperatures could stay in double digits in the state up till New Year.
Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather forecasting division, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune, told TOI, "As per the extended forecast, cold is unlikely to return to parts of north central Madhya Maharashtra, including Pune district, some areas of the Vidarbha and adjacent Marathwada, till December-end. This forecast even indicates that the warm trend may continue in parts of Maharashtra during the first week of January next year too."
He said usually, the extended range forecast was most accurate for up to 14 days with a slight reduction in accuracy thereafter. "Therefore, the upcoming extended range forecast would be able to show a clearer picture on how temperatures will fare in the first week of January next year," Kashyapi said.
The current situation shows that cold dry northerly winds are penetrating into Madhya Pradesh and some parts of north Vidarbha, but not reaching beyond that to influence rest of Maharashtra. There could be some respite from daytime heat too in the coming days, with maximum temperatures likely to drop by 3-4° C in most of state. "This again will be a result of clouding, which would cause a reduction in maximum temperatures, but a rise in night temperatures. This is because of the influence of the easterly wave coming from South peninsular India to as far as Maharashtra," he said.