No respite from biting cold for Puneites; flights affected

It was another chilly day for Puneites as the city’s temperature dropped to 7.3 degree Celsius on Sunday morning, bringing the mercury level three degrees below normal. It was the coldest day of this season so far.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, the minimum temperature is likely to go down to 5 degree Celsius in the next 48 hours.

The prevailing weather conditions have also affected departure of some flights from Lohegaon airport by at least half an hour. However, the movement of trains is normal.

The minimum temperature on Saturday morning was 8.5 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature on Sunday was 27.3 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal.

IMD’s deputy director general (weather forecasting), AB Mazumdar, attributed the dip in temperature to different factors.

“The cold northerly winds, combined with clear skies and lack of moisture are the reasons for the drop in minimum temperature,” he said, predicting that the trend would continue.

Met officials said that the city is experiencing day-time breeze, which is keeping the maximum temperature down. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 27 degree Celsius in the next 48 hours.

Airport director Deepak Shastri told DNA that the flights were affected due to poor visibility. “But this is nothing unusual during winter. Things have not gone out of hand,” he said.

In the last 11 years, the mercury has dipped below 8 degrees Celsius only on four occasions in December in the city. The all-time low recorded in the city was 3.3 degrees Celsius in
December 1968.

According to information available with the IMD, in 1999 the lowest temperature recorded in December was 6.7 degrees Celsius. Records for December 2000 show the lowest temperature was 5.6 degrees Celsius, in 2001 it was 7.6 degrees Celsius and in 2005 it was 6.3 degrees.