Pune: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a minimum temperature of 10°C on Monday, to rise to 11°C on Tuesday, at Pune’s key locations which already hit a double digit on Sunday.Similar weather conditions are expected to continue and will further increase as the year turns. IMD’s forecast said the minimum temperature would be around 12°C Celsius on Jan 1, 2026.Haze in expected in city areas on Monday and Tuesday, but there will be mainly clear skies from Wednesday, IMD said.On Sunday, barring Pashan (9.5°C), locations including Shivajinagar (10.1°C), Lohegaon (14.2°C), Chinchwad (14.8°C), Lavale (15.8°C), Magarpatta (15.9°C) and Koregaon Park (14.1°C) saw minimum temperatures above 10°C.IMD officials said the city had experienced a record cold condition in the early days of Dec — the coldest first fortnight of the month in a decade. The city also witnessed the highest number of single-digit minimum temperature nights during the period since 2014. According to IMD data, the average minimum temperature from Dec 1-15 stood at 10.66°C — sharply lower than all corresponding periods over the last decade.IMD officials attributed the unusually cold spell to persistent northerly and northwesterly winds, clear night skies and low humidity levels, which together enhanced radiation cooling and led to low overnight temperature drops.However, there started a change after Dec 15 and will impact the weather conditions now. “The marginally increased humidity levels and slightly reduced impact of northwesterly winds will lead to an increase in minimum temperature. We can expect double-digit minimum temperature for the next few days,” said a senior official of IMD.Meanwhile, a cold wave alert has been issued over the next 48 hours for isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.IMD forecast said dense to very dense fog is expected to persist during the night and morning over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh till Dec 31. Regions in east Uttar Pradesh will see the conditions continue till Jan 1, 2026.Officials said rains are expected in some parts of the country as “a fresh western disturbance is slated to hit the western Himalayan region starting Dec 30, extending to the adjoining plains by Dec 31.” The system is expected to bring rain and snow. “Light to moderate scattered rainfall and snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Muzaffarabad are likely between Dec 30 and Jan 2, 2026. That part, the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also likely may see isolated precipitation in the period,” the official added.
