3 reasons why Pune is seeing fluctuating temperatures this winter

Since the first week of December, the minimum temperature in Pune saw a slight rise – touching 16-17 degrees Celsius – due to the incursion of moisture into the city’s air.

When Cyclone Fengal was in its formative state, it saw the withdrawal of inland moisture and coupled with the clear skies, it resulted in dipping temperatures. (File photo)

Winter began on a strange note in Pune this year, with temperatures just dipping below the 10-degree Celsius mark, that too only for a few days in November. At present, the temperature is around 12-13 degrees Celsius but the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday predicted a rise in mercury levels over the next few days.

The fluctuating weather can be linked to three things – Cyclone Fengal which struck the south peninsular coast in November, the consistently clear skies, and the presence of Northern Disturbances or moisture-laden cold winds which cause snowing and rainfall in North India, according to weather officials.

When Cyclone Fengal was in its formative state, it saw the withdrawal of inland moisture and coupled with the clear skies, it resulted in dipping temperatures. IMD officials said the dip in the last week of November was a result of this depletion of moisture, and the incursion of cold winds from the north. Pune’s minimum dipped to below 10 degree Celsius at the time. Given the lack of moisture, the chill factor was more for the region.

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However, since the first week of December, the minimum temperature saw a slight rise – touching 16-17 degrees Celsius – due to the incursion of moisture into the city’s air. This condition prevailed over the last few days, after which Pune’s temperature showed a slight dip again, mainly due to the incursion of cold winds from up north. A low-pressure area along the coast of South India also led to moisture depletion in Pune.

At present, the Indian subcontinent is in a peculiar situation with cold waves in the north and rainfall in the south. Maharashtra might not experience any rainfall but the showers in South India will affect Pune’s minimum temperature. The temperatures are expected to rise by 1-2 degrees Celsius, mainly due to the incursion of moisture into the air. The cold winds from the North have also seen a slight dip in temperature.

Given the cold waves and rainfall, the see-saw in Pune’s temperature is not totally unrealistic. “For the next few days, we will see such dips and rises in the region’s minimum temperature,” said an IMD official.

Parthasarathi Biswas

Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More

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