Pune: A sharp contrast between hot afternoons and cooler nights has emerged across Maharashtra, with minimum temperatures dipping below 20°C at several places while maximum temperatures remain 3 to 5°C above normal at some stations.The widening day-night temperature gap, amid largely dry conditions, has made the afternoon heat particularly uncomfortable.In Pune, the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures widened from 13.7°C on Saturday to 15.6°C on Sunday, before remaining high at 14.7°C on Monday. Shivajinagar recorded a maximum of 34.4°C on Monday, 3.1°C above normal, while the minimum settled at 19.7°C. On Sunday, the station recorded 34.8°C against a minimum of 19.2°C.The contrast was even more pronounced in other parts of the state. Jalgaon recorded 37.5°C against a minimum of 17.3°C on Monday—a massive gap of 20.2°C. Malegaon recorded the state’s highest maximum at 38.4°C alongside a minimum of 18.6°C, a difference of 19.8°C. Meanwhile, Washim recorded the state’s lowest minimum at 17°C, against a maximum of 36°C.Daytime temperatures were considerably above normal at several stations. Malegaon’s maximum was 5.9°C above normal, while Solapur reached 37.4°C (4.6°C above normal) and Lohegaon recorded 35.6°C (4.3°C above normal). Jalgaon was 2.5°C above normal, while Shivajinagar’s maximum remained 3.1°C above the seasonal average.Dry weather conditions have further accentuated the heat. Pune recorded no rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on both Sunday and Monday, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast mainly clear to partly cloudy skies for the city. The forecast for Tuesday placed Pune’s maximum and minimum temperatures around 34°C and 20°C, respectively.Independent weather expert Abhijit Modak said this temperature pattern is part of the normal seasonal transition from the southwest monsoon to winter.“This Oct heat is normal. We are in a seasonal change phase as the monsoon transitions towards winter. High pressure develops during this period, which is one of the main reasons for the higher daytime temperatures. This phase is temporary,” Modak said.He added that temperatures could fluctuate over the coming days due to intermittent moisture incursions. “If moisture enters again from the southeast or the Bay of Bengal, local convergence could trigger isolated thunderstorms in some pockets, particularly over western Maharashtra and the ghat areas,” he said.Modak also noted that the recent dip in night temperatures should not be seen as a continuous trend. “With the influence of moisture, temperatures could fluctuate and rise again during the week. They are likely to return to around 19–20°C at night,” he said.
