Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C

Pune winter temperatures hit a new low on Saturday, setting a new record for the season. The district recorded its lowest temperature of this winter as the minimum temperature plummeted to 6.9°C in Haveli. The city was a little less cold, with the Shivajinagar weather station recording 8.1°C and Pashan 7.3°C on Saturday morning.

“I had expected a fall in night temperature till December 20 due to a change in wind pattern. The Northerly wind was blowing into Maharashtra via the North and Central India. With a clear sky, ensuring that there were no clouds to trap the heat, the nighttime temperature began to fall rapidly. Now, with the wind changing from December 21, we are likely to see an increase in the night temperature again,” Anupam Kashyapi, former head of weather forecasting at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said.

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The cold has swept through many parts of the district, with weather stations buzzing with reports of single-digit temperatures. Malin recorded 7.3°C, Baramati 7.6°C, Talegaon 8.3°C, Daund 8.5°C, and Ambegaon 9.8°C. In contrast, Lavale, Koregaon Park, Magarpatta and Chinchwad witnessed reasonably warm mornings, with the minimum temperature ranging between 12.4°C to 15.3°C.

Even as many people complained of sore throat, cold and cough due to the fluctuating temperatures, the IMD has said the minimum temperature is likely to rise to 12°C on December 24 and 13°C on Christmas morning. The days will be warmer, with the maximum temperature expected to reach 31°C on December 23.

Meanwhile, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Pune has been fluctuating as well. On Saturday, the AQI was 171, which is in the moderate category.