Pune Records Hottest January Day Since 2009, Maximum Temperature Reaches 34.6°C
Pune, January 26, 2025: The city experienced its hottest January day in over a decade on Saturday, as the maximum temperature soared to 34.6°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The last time Pune saw such high January temperatures was on January 31, 2009, when the mercury also touched 34.6°C. The all-time January record for the city remains at 35.3°C, recorded on January 27, 2009.
This January appears to be deviating from typical winter patterns, with private weather experts predicting it could become one of the warmest in recent history. SD Sanap, a scientist at the IMD, attributed the unseasonal heat to an anticyclonic circulation over central India, including Maharashtra. This system, extending from lower to mid-tropospheric levels, is causing air subsidence, leading to higher daytime and nighttime temperatures.
Sanap explained, “The circulation is likely to persist for the next three to four days, keeping temperatures elevated. After that, we anticipate a drop in both minimum and maximum temperatures.”
The heatwave is not confined to Pune. Other parts of Maharashtra are also reporting higher-than-normal temperatures. Mumbai’s Santacruz recorded a maximum of 34.5°C, 4°C above normal, while Ratnagiri registered a sweltering 36.1°C, which was 4.9°C above average. Pune’s maximum of 34.6°C was 4.2°C above the seasonal norm, and the city’s Lohgaon area recorded a minimum of 17.7°C, 6.6°C higher than usual.
While temperatures are expected to drop later this week, the current heatwave highlights a significant deviation from typical winter conditions in Pune and other regions of India.
