Why Vadodara was colder than Naliya in the Thar desert: Local conditions, wind pattern, clouds

Vadodara recorded 14 degrees C on November 8 and Naliya in Thar desert area, usually the coldest place in Gujarat, 15.4 degrees C

Naliya in Kutch is home to the Great Indian Bustard, the endangered bird species. (File)

As winter set in late last week after a rainy October, Gujarat has witnessed a change in the weather pattern. Naliya in Kutch, usually the coldest area in the state, recorded slightly higher temperatures than Vadodara in the eastern central region on November 8 and 9.

While Vadodara recorded 14° Celsius on November 8, Gandhinagar recorded the same the following day, the lowest temperatures on the respective days. Both cities have good green cover, while Naliya is in the Thar desert area. What made this unusual was that Vadodara witnessed the highest departure of 4.9 degrees from the normal minimum temperatures recorded across the state on Sunday.

Naliya recorded 15.4° Celsius on November 8 and 14.2° Celsius on November 9.

On Tuesday, Gandhinagar again recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 13.8° Celsius in the state, 4.2 degrees lower than the normal temperature, while Naliya was at 14.7° Celsius, nearly a degree higher than Gandhinagar.

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According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, on November 9, 2024, the minimum temperature in Gandhinagar was 19.8° Celsius. Vadodara recorded a minimum of 20.4° Celsius, while Naliya was a notch colder at 19.5° Celsius.

Among the major reasons cited by weather experts for this unusual phenomenon are cloudy nights, wind patterns, humidity and green cover.

“Different cities in Gujarat can become colder than usual on some days because night temperatures depend more on local conditions than on geography alone,” Dr Narottam Sahoo, Advisor, Gujarat Council on Science and Technology (GUJCOST), told The Indian Express.

Wind patterns

Light north-easterly winds bring cool and dry air to central Gujarat, making it colder. At the same time, the coastal or western parts get slightly warmer sea-influenced air.

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“Easterly winds are blowing in the east and central parts of Gujarat, while westerly to north westerly winds in the western parts such as Naliya, which also get coastal winds. This is cited as the reason for the cold wave-like conditions in parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. At present, northeasterly to easterly winds are prevailing at lower levels in Gujarat,” IMD regional director A K Das told The Indian Express.

Clear vs cloudy nights

Cities with clear skies and calm winds lose heat faster at night. They cool down more than cities that have even a slight cloud cover, which works like a blanket. This is also factored in while looking at reasons for the shift in temperatures in the state.

Dry versus moist air

Dry inland air (common in Gandhinagar or Vadodara) cools quickly. Moist air near the coast (like Kutch/Naliya) cools slowly, so minimum temperatures stay higher, points out Sahoo.

City layout and greenery

Greener and more open cities like Gandhinagar and Vadodara cool down faster at night than dense and built-up areas. Further, local ground conditions, such as areas with farms, open land, or recent soil moisture, cool more quickly than dry, rocky or urban areas.

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Vadodara likely had clear, calm and dry conditions, while Naliya had some cloud or moisture, which reduced its night-time cooling.

This pattern has been seen repeatedly because weak western disturbances bring clouds and moisture to Kutch first, while interior Gujarat often stays clear and dry, leading to lower minimum temperatures there, according to a climate expert at Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ahmedabad.