Pune: The city is witnessing unusual mercury fluctuations this February with the day temperature soaring to a record 57-year high of 37.5°C on Wednesday, barely 11 days after it recorded one of the coldest mornings since 1941.India Meteorological Department (IMD) data over the last 60 years revealed that there have only been two occasions in February since 1962 when the day temperature of Pune (Shivajinagar) was 37.5°C or above — in 2001 and 2019.Met officials said Pune’s weather has become quite dry and the lack of moisture is causing the maximum temperature to rise. The day’s heat is also making the nights warmer. “A temperature rise to 37.5°C is unusual for February,” an official said.The city has been witnessing quite a few extremes this winter, earlier for its night temperatures and now for the day temperatures as well. On February 9, Pune recorded one of its coldest mornings of the month since the pre-Independence year of 1941 when the minimum temperature plunged to 5.1°C in Shivajinagar.Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather at IMD, Pune, said the city heats up fast because of its topography and soil type, besides factors such as exposure to warmer winds from the east and the south.He told TOI, “The winds, currently blowing into the city, are from the warmer land region of the northern parts of southern peninsula. Regions in the south are also seeing day temperatures above 35°C. If the winds are blowing from that direction, they are bound to be warmer.”Kashyapi said how much a city warms up depends on some criteria. “Pune fulfils all the criteria — soil type, wind direction, presence of dry air and sparse vegetation. The city’s soil is typically reddish brown, but it has near black body type properties. This means that it is a good emitter and absorber of heat. This explains why it emits maximum long wave radiation in the night (thus remaining cool) and absorbs maximum heat during the days (thus becoming warm),” he added.“Pune also lacks enough water bodies and vegetation. The rapid modernization and spurt in buildings and concrete create a sort of ‘heat island effect’. The current scenario is an example of ‘micro-level climate change’,” Kashyapi said.

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