The winter season in Maharashtra and other states has begun. Several districts witnessed cold and dry weather after extended rains until November. Mumbaikars experienced sweltering weather in the afternoon and a cool breeze from the evening until morning the next day.
Maharashtra's capital city reported a minimum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, and the humidity was 53%. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for several districts of Maharashtra, including Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Ghats of Kolhapur, Satara, Ghats of Satara, and Sangli. The IMD expected thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall, and gusty winds (30-40kmph) at isolated places on November 14 (Thursday) and 15 (Friday).
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Nashik recorded the second-lowest minimum temperature in the state at 14 degrees Celsius, just after Pune. The winter chill is intensifying in North and West Maharashtra, while the rest of the state still awaits a severe cold spell. Marathwada recorded a minimum temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, and Konkan recorded 19 degrees Celsius, while Vidarbha has seen minimum temperatures ranging between 16 and 20 degrees. Therefore, a harsh winter chill has not yet set in.
Meanwhile, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the southwest Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours. This low-pressure system is expected to move toward Tamil Nadu within the next two days, likely bringing rain to coastal areas of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, rain has been forecast for Konkan and parts of Madhya Maharashtra starting Thursday.
“There is a possibility of rain accompanied by thunder in some districts, including Pune, on Thursday and Friday. The formation of a low-pressure area in the southwest Bay of Bengal and its westward movement is generating moisture. Due to an increase in humidity and cloud cover, the minimum/night temperatures are expected to rise slightly,” said Anupam Kashyapi, Senior Meteorologist in Pune.