21 hours Ago
Pune:The winter chill has retreated from Pune as minimum temperatures across the city witnessed a significant uptick, rising by approximately 5-6°C in just five days. On Thursday, the minimum temperature in Shivajinagar was 17.4°C — over 6° above normal.
In Lohegaon, the minimum temperature was 19.4°C — 8.4° above normal.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Shivajinagar area, which recorded a minimum temperature of 12.5°C on Dec 20, saw the mercury climb to 17.4°C by Dec 26, marking a notable departure from the seasonal norms.
The warming trend is even more pronounced in other parts of the city. Koregaon Park registered a minimum temperature of 20.9°C, while Magarpatta touched 21.
8°C, indicating a substantial increase from their previous readings. Lavale and NDA recorded 100% relative humidity, with minimum temperatures at 18.5°C and 16.
2°C, respectively. Adding to this unseasonable warmth, the IMD has forecast light rain accompanied by thunder and lightning for Friday and Saturday. "Thunderstorms accompanied by hailstorms are likely over several regions, including Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada on Dec 27.
The minimum temperatures have risen by 1-2°C over parts of Maharashtra in the past 24 hours. We expect a further rise of 2-3°C over western India during the next two days, followed by a gradual fall," an official from the Met department said. "A fresh western disturbance around Dec 26-27 is expected to interact with lower-level northeast monsoon easterlies, drawing moisture from the Arabian sea.
This interaction could lead to convergence over Maharashtra, potentially resulting in rain and thunderstorms with isolated hailstones between Dec 27-28," explained weather expert Abhijit Modak. An IMD forecast stated that a western disturbance was influencing the middle tropospheric westerlies, accompanied by an induced cyclonic circulation over southwest Rajasthan and surrounding areas. In addition, a trough in easterlies extended from the east-central Arabian sea to the cyclonic circulation at lower tropospheric levels.
This system is expected to interact with easterly winds in the lower levels over central India, resulting in significant moisture influx from both the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal, primarily on Dec 27 and 28. Modak further said scattered thunderstorm activity is likely to occur from Madhya Maharashtra to Marathwada and Vidarbha regions as the convergence moves eastward with the western disturbance. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India .
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