New year's first week begins with unseasonal rain and chilly weather

Effect to linger for next two days, high humidity, created a dewy atmosphere

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: After enjoying brief respite from unseasonal rain, residents of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar woke up to a chilly surprise on Friday, marking a drastic shift in weather just days into the new year.

Morning fog shrouded the city, followed by cool temperatures throughout the day. The maximum temperature dipped to 27.2 degrees Celsius, while the minimum plummeted to a chilly 15.6 degrees Celsius. The sharp drop in minimum temperature, coupled with high humidity, created a dewy atmosphere. The evening, however, witnessed light showers lashing the city at around 6 pm. While the rain provided temporary relief from the heat, it also triggered power outages in several areas.

The sudden weather change is attributed to a low-pressure belt formed in the Indian Ocean due to steam generation. This phenomenon, impacting Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, has now moved north, reaching Madhya Pradesh and influencing the climate in parts of Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Buldhana, and Marathwada. Meteorologist Srinivas Aundhkar predicts this effect to linger for the next 48 hours.

Effect of El Nino

Residents can expect light rain showers during this period, but Aundhkar assures there will be no hailstorms. He attributes this change to the residual effect of El Nino. Throughout the day, cloudy skies and fog significantly reduced visibility in the city and surrounding areas.