Winter Chill to Ease Across Maharashtra as Cyclone Alters Weather Patterns
The characteristic winter nip in Maharashtra is set to diminish over the weekend as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts a significant rise in minimum temperatures across the state. Night temperatures are expected to increase by 2-3 degrees Celsius in the coming days, bringing temporary relief from the early winter chill.
Cyclone Ditwah: The Driving Force Behind Temperature Shift
According to the IMD's national bulletin issued at 5:30 PM on Friday, the changing weather pattern is directly linked to cyclonic storm Ditwah, currently positioned over coastal Sri Lanka and the adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. The weather system was moving north-northwestwards at approximately 7 kilometers per hour.
IMD scientist SD Sanap explained to Times of India how the cyclone's trajectory will impact Maharashtra's climate. "Ditwah may reach the Andhra Pradesh coast by November 30. The easterly wind impact is likely to increase in our region because of this, while the influence of northwesterly winds will reduce", Sanap stated.
Immediate Impact on Pune and Surrounding Areas
The altered wind patterns mean reduced influence of northwesterlies - the cool, dry winds that typically lower night temperatures in Maharashtra during this season. As of Friday, Shivajinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 15°C with neighboring areas like Pashan (14.4°C) and Lohegaon (18.7°C) showing similar early winter readings.
Meteorologists predict that Pune's minimum temperatures will hover between 15-20°C in the coming days, with mainly clear to partly cloudy skies expected until at least December 3-4. The strengthening easterly flow is likely to continue beyond December 1-2, keeping early December mornings relatively warmer than typical for this time of year.
Cyclone Alert and Regional Implications
The IMD has issued a cyclone alert (orange message) for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts. As of Friday evening, the system was centered around 40km west-northwest of Trincomalee, 270km south-southeast of Karaikal, 380km south-southeast of Puducherry and nearly 490km south of Chennai.
The weather system is very likely to move across Sri Lanka and enter the southwest Bay of Bengal, making its way toward the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry-south Andhra Pradesh coasts by early morning of November 30. Meteorologists confirm that a significant cold-wave-like temperature drop is unlikely in the immediate future due to the prevailing easterlies.
