60 kph winds lash city for 4 hrs

The Agromet division records the wind speed in the city along with the other observations on a daily basis. According to Vyas,who is also in charge of the recording station,the weather pressure came down during these three hours. “Normally,950 to 960 hpa pressure is recorded during this season. On Wednesday,we recorded the pressure as low as 930 hpa,which is also a main reason for the increased wind speed.”

As per the available records of Agromet,such a phenomenon has not taken place in the past three decades. “Even during monsoon season,the maximum wind speed in the city reaches 30 km per hour. However,as it was a cyclonic condition on Wednesday,the speed was very high.”

Asked whether the city would experience such strong winds on Thursday,he said the possibility was remote. “As the cyclone hits the land,it will not get the kind of moisture feed as it would when it is on sea; hence the wind will blow with a low intensity.” Though the city is expected to get a respite from winds on Thursday,heavy rains are expected. “In the wake of cyclone hitting the coast of Maharashtra and Gujarat,heavy rains are forecast in the city in the next 24 hours,” said Medha Khole,director of weather section of IMD,Pune.

“Cyclonic rains in the winter season are not abnormal though they are rarely experienced. But it has nothing to do with the low rainfall during monsoon season and is a completely different phenomenon.”

She said normally when such a cyclonic system is formed in the Arabian Sea,it moves in the western direction. “This time it moved in the north-easterly direction and hence we are experiencing heavy wind and rains.”

Winter likely to be delayed
Winter in the city is likely to arrive almost a week late owing to the cyclonic condition. “The system is expected to remain active for the next 24 hours. However,after that we cannot expect an immediate revival of the winter season. It will take at least a week for the slow pattern of the cyclonic system to get re-established. Till then,winter will not arrive,” said Medha Kole,director of weather section,IMD.