Hot & humid days take the chill out of winter this year

Sunday Was The Warmest At 33.4°C

This past Sunday, the weather in Pune was more reminiscent of a balmy summer afternoon than a crisp winter day. With the temperature touching 33.4°C, it became the hottest day in the city this winter. Sunday was also the second hottest January day recorded in the past five years.

The trend continued on Monday with the mercury breaching the 32°C mark again, though thanks to high level of humidity, the “real feel” temperature was 35°C. This was revealed by the data from a private weather forecaster. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed these findings. On Monday, the humidity level, as recorded at Shivajinagar, stood at 96%, which is about 12 % higher than normal. In Lohegaon, the humidity level touched 83%, around 22% above normal.

An IMD official blamed the water vapours, which seem to be trapped in the Mumbai-Pune region, for the heat. “Moisture-laden air is flowing into the region from the Arabian sea. Mornings are hazy, and the heat emitted is being absorbed by the water vapours. The trough that is running along the lowest level — from Maharashtra to the coast of Kerala — is causing the moist air to slightly rise. However, the anti-cyclone over central and peninsular India is causing this air to remain trapped in our region. All this is creating warm conditions here,” the official explained.

To put matters in perspective, till December 24, the maximum temperatures in the city stayed below the 30°C-mark. However, in just about 20 days, Pune (Shivajinagar) was among the stations recording the highest maximum temperature in the state.

Currently, both day and night temperatures in all locations in the state are above normal, with departures ranging from 1°C to 5°C. The city’s minimum temperature on Monday was 16.2°C, which is 5°C above normal.

Moreover, as per an IMD forecast released on Monday evening, the night temperature in the city may shoot up to 20°C on January 16. Thereafter, the night temperatures may drop gradually, though the day temperatures are expected to hover around 30°C.

Understandably, many have tucked their woollens away. Nikita Hegde, an engineering student, said, “I don’t need sweaters as it has been quite warm, especially in the past few days.”

Source : TOI