Hyderabad witnessed its coldest day in eight years as the minimum temperature in the city on Saturday fell to 9.9 degree Celsius, with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) even issuing a cold wave alert for Sunday. In 2010, Hyderabad witnessed a low of 8.9 degree Celsius. 

Media reports quoted the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS) stating that the night temperature in BHEL, which is at the outskirts of the city, dropped to 6.6 degree Celsius on Friday night.  

The IMD's alert said that cold wave conditions would prevail at isolated places across northern Telangana including the districts of Adilabad, Nirmal, Jagtial, Karimnagar, Sirpur Kagaznagar, Nizamabad and Mancherial. Besides Hyderabad, districts like Ranga Reddy, Medak and Siddipet would also witness a steep drop in temperature. 

The prevailing weather condition has been attributed to northern winds and the IMD said that it was expected to continue for two more days at least. The IMD also said that a dry weather would prevail across the state.

Just earlier this month, citizens in Hyderabad woke up shivering as the temperature across all parts of the city saw a steep dip, owing to Cylone Phethai that made landfall in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. At the time, the IMD said that areas like Medak in Telangana witnessed the lowest temperature in the state, at 13 degree Celsius. In Hyderabad, the minimum temperature hovered around 18 degree Celsius while the maximum temperature was 27 degree Celsius. Areas at the outskirts of the city like Hakimpet, even saw the temperature dip to 16 degree Celsius.   

‘Phethai' made the landfall near Katrinekonda in Andhra’s East Godavari district with a wind speed of 80 kmph and re-emerged into the Bay of Bengal before crossing the coast between Kakinada and Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry in the same district. 

IANS inputs