February chill: Minimum temperature drops to 5.1°C in Pune, Nashik coldest in Maharashtra at 4°C

  • | Sunday | 10th February, 2019

But according to the temperature data from the IMD, Mahabaleshwar recorded a minimum temperature of 9°C on Saturday morning.The dip in minimum temperature to 5.1°C in Pune on Saturday was unexpected though the Met department had predicted significant fall in minimum temperature. PUNE: The city on Saturday witnessed one of its coldest February mornings since the pre-Independence year of 1941, with the minimum temperature plunging to 5.1°C in Shivajinagar.The minimum temperature dipped so low in February only on five occasions in the past 78 years. The all-time lowest minimum temperature of February in the city is 3.9°C, recorded in 1934.On Saturday, the city’s minimum temperature was significantly lower than that reported in north Indian cites like Dehradun, Haridwar, Delhi, Patiala, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. But this winter has seen intermittent temperature dips for a short period even in February.During most years in the past, the lowest minimum temperature in February ranged from 8°C to 11°C in Pune. By the second fortnight of the month, night temperature begins its upward climb.

PUNE: The city on Saturday witnessed one of its coldest February mornings since the pre-Independence year of 1941, with the minimum temperature plunging to 5.1°C in Shivajinagar.The minimum temperature dipped so low in February only on five occasions in the past 78 years. First, 4.4°C in 1949 and 1950, followed by 4.5°C in February 1993, 4.6°C in 2012 and 5.1°C of Saturday. The all-time lowest minimum temperature of February in the city is 3.9°C, recorded in 1934.On Saturday, the city’s minimum temperature was significantly lower than that reported in north Indian cites like Dehradun, Haridwar, Delhi, Patiala, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. It also recorded the second lowest temperature in Maharashtra after Nashik’s 4°C. The Pashan observatory here saw the mercury plunging to 4.7°C.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said cold wave conditions had resurfaced in the state though a cold wave was not declared on Saturday. The Met department declares cold wave on the second day of significant drop in temperature.The Met department on Saturday issued two-day (till February 10) cold wave warning for North Madhya Maharashtra at isolated places. Vidarbha was issued a similar warning for a 48-hour period. For Marathwada, it’s for 24 hours.Met officials said the snowfall up north and clear night skies right from east Pakistan created a direct path for cold northerly winds to enter Maharashtra. The night skies had been completely clear and there had been plenty of snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh among other regions in the north, said Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather, IMD Pune.On Saturday, reports from Mahabaleshwar indicated that areas near Venna Lake and Lingmala waterfalls saw the night temperature dipping to 0-2°C. Residents reported formation of thin ice sheets over strawberry plants, creepers and vegetables on fields. Flower nurseries in the region also reported similar instances with frost developing over flowers like roses and marigold. But according to the temperature data from the IMD, Mahabaleshwar recorded a minimum temperature of 9°C on Saturday morning.The dip in minimum temperature to 5.1°C in Pune on Saturday was unexpected though the Met department had predicted significant fall in minimum temperature. The IMD had forecast a plunge in temperature to 7-8°C.“Cold northerly winds resurfaced in the state during the past couple of days. February 7 saw partly northerly component in winds, while on February 8, winds were completely northerly. The low temperature in the state is likely to continue till February 10,” he said.Kashyapi said the reason for the plunge could also be the intense western disturbance affecting the northern India recently. “We saw one western disturbance from January 29 to February 1, another from February 4 till the current period, while another one is expected from February 10 or 11. Three successive western disturbances, which are systems associated with cold weather, in less than a fortnight is quite unusual,” he said.“Broadly, the winter this time seems to be severe due to spilling of the cold blast from the Arctic Vortex region, causing the effect of western disturbances to be more pronounced even over the regions in the south, including Maharashtra and Telangana,” said Kashyapi.February is considered as the last month of winter. By the second fortnight of the month, night temperature begins its upward climb. But this winter has seen intermittent temperature dips for a short period even in February.During most years in the past, the lowest minimum temperature in February ranged from 8°C to 11°C in Pune.

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