Pune began 2026 on a warmer note, with the city recording a sharp rise in minimum temperatures. On January 2, the minimum temperature at the Shivajinagar weather station was 13.5 degrees Celsius, significantly higher than the 10.9 degrees Celsius recorded a day earlier. Pashan was marginally cooler at 13 degrees Celsius. Hadapsar recorded a minimum of around 15 degrees Celsius, while Magarpatta, Chinchwad and Koregaon Park saw minimum temperatures of about 17 degrees Celsius.
The rise is significant as 2025 ended with the coldest December in Pune across several parameters. The average minimum temperature for the month stood at 10.5 degrees Celsius, the lowest in more than a decade.
The city also witnessed 18 consecutive mornings in December 2025 when minimum temperatures remained below 10 degrees Celsius. According to historical records of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune had experienced a similar cold spell in December 2013, when there were 16 consecutive days of single-digit minimum temperatures.
The IMD has forecast a gradual warming trend over the coming days. The minimum temperature is expected to continue rising and touch 15 degrees Celsius by January 8. Day-time temperatures, too, are likely to increase from around 30 degrees Celsius on January 2 to 32 degrees Celsius by January 8.
“This is quite a normal occurrence for this time of the year. The rise in minimum and maximum temperatures is, primarily, due to the weakening of the northerly dry and cold winds over the region, along with the increased influence of moist southeasterly winds,” said S D Sanap, scientist at IMD.
A similar trend was observed last year as well, with January 2025 beginning with minimum temperatures around 13 degrees Celsius, which rose to about 15 degrees Celsius by the end of the first week.
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