Cold conditions were reported from most parts of Pune district. (File Representational Photo) Pune city woke up to the season’s coldest day on Tuesday with the minimum temperature recorded at Shivajinagar falling to 7.4 degrees Celsius. This was Pune’s coldest January day in six years, temperature data maintained by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) revealed.
In the past decade, Pune’s coldest January days were reported in 2011 (5.3 degrees Celsius), 2012 (6.6 degrees Celsius) and 2015 (7 degrees Celsius), the IMD data showed.
Overall, similar cold conditions were reported from most parts of Pune district where the minimum temperatures were 7.1 degrees Celsius in Haveli , 7.3 in Pashan, 7.4 in Malin, 8.3 in Baramati, 8.7 in Shirur and 9.5 in Daund. In fact, Pune city was cooler than two famous hill stations in Maharashtra – Lonavala (14.6 degrees Celsius) and Mahabaleshwar (12.1 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday.
Normal night temperatures were recorded over Lohegaon (11.3 degrees Celsius), Koregaon Park (13.6), Magarpatta (14.4), Chinchwad (14.3) and Wadgaonsheri (16.4).
“There has been a cold wave ongoing over north India since last week. As a result, there are cold northerly winds penetrating into parts of Maharashtra influencing the local weather here. Since Monday, cold wave conditions have prevailed over Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha which will prevail till Wednesday and abate thereafter,” a Pune IMD official said.
Overall, north Maharashtra regions reported a sharp fall in minimum temperatures as they plunged 5 to 7 degrees Celsius below normal. For instance, Jalgaon on Tuesday recorded 5.3 degrees Celsius, a departure by 7 degrees from normal, IMD officials said. Likewise, other areas in northern Madhya Maharashtra, too, witnessed such cold conditions, including Nashik (7.4 degrees Celsius).
Meanwhile, cold conditions continued to prevail over Vidarbha and Marathwada meteorological subdivisions where the temperature departures from normal ranged between 2 to 3 degrees. The night temperatures recorded on Tuesday were 10 degree Celsius at Jalna and Parbhani, 11 at Buldhana, 11.3 at Amaravati and 10.5 at Akola.
With a fresh spell of western disturbances approaching India’s northernmost regions, the minimum temperatures are most likely to fall over north India by mid-January.
Anjali Marar is a Science Communication Officer with Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru.