Pune minimum temperature likely to drop to 7 degrees C: IMD

The minimum temperature recorded at Shivajinagar station was a cold 8.9 degree C on Tuesday – a sharp fall of almost 2.5 degree C overnight from Monday morning’s temperature.

It is also the second time the mercury has touched single digits this winter– on November 18, it was 9.5 degree C in Shivajinagar. In Pashan, the minimum temperature was 8.4 degree C. During the day, Pune was pleasantly warm at around 30 degrees C on Tuesday and is likely to fluctuate only mildly in the days to come.

“Pune is in the grip of a cold wave. With the penetration of mild, northerly wind and due to a clear sky, the mercury level in Pune has been dipping over the last few days. A further fall in night temperature is likely in the next 48 hours. Take precautions during late night hours and early morning time,” says Anupam Kashyapi, former head of the weather forecasting division IMD.

The weather office has issued a yellow alert, which stands for “be aware”, for Pune, for a cold wave in isolated pockets, on December 10 and 11. Yellow alerts have also been issued for districts, such as Nasik, Ahilyanagar, Beed, Nanded, Hingoli, Jalna, Parbhani, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar and Sambhajinagar.

The IMD has informed the public that it is a season when there is an increased likelihood of various illnesses, such as flu, running or stuffy nose or nosebleed, which usually set in or get aggravated due to prolonged exposure to cold. “Do not ignore shivering. It is the first sign that the body is losing heat. Get Indoors. There is likely to be an impact on agriculture, crop, livestock, water supply, transport and power sector at some places,” says the IMD advisory.

The actions suggested by the IMD include covering up adequately, making sure to protect the head, neck, hands and toes adequately as the majority of heat loss occurs through these body parts. “Eat vitamin-C rich fruits and vegetables and drink sufficient fluids preferably warm fluids to maintain immunity. Maintain ventilation while using heaters to avoid inhaling toxic fumes,” says the advisory..