Residents of Hyderabad woke up to one of the chilliest days this year, with the minimum temperature in the city dipping to 15 degree Celsius on Saturday.
"Dry weather very likely to prevail over Telangana. Minimum temperature likely to be below normal by 2 degrees to 3 degree Celsius at a few places over Telangana," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The IMD has attributed the cold weather to a low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal and its surroundings.
It also stated that a fresh low pressure area is likely to form over southeast Bay of Bengal around November 14.
“There is no official onset of the winter season. Mid-December to February is usually considered as the winter season in Hyderabad. However, temperatures have seen a drop from November onwards due to the north-eastern winds, as a result of the north-east monsoons.” an IMD official was quoted as saying.
While November 11 was the coldest day of the month last year as well, when the city recorded 12.4 degree Celsius, the coldest day in November in the last decade was November 25, 2007, when the city experienced 11.3 degree Celsius, Telangana Today reported.
However, the all-time record for the coldest day in November, goes to November 26, 1964, when the city witnessed 7.4 degree Celsius, the TT report adds.
In the first week of November, temperatures in the city fell to 16 degree Celsius, which was 3 degrees lesser than the normal temperature for that time every year.
The Indian Meteorological Department had also issued a two-day alert, which had stated, "Minimum temperatures likely to be below normal by 4 to 5 degree Celsius at isolated places in the districts of Adilabad, Kothagudem, Khammam and Medak of Telangana."
"November has started on a cold note but we can’t attribute it to winter. The official winter season begins in mid-December and extends to February. The mist is a winter component, while the layer of haze remains in the upper strata of the atmosphere through the day," Mr YK Reddy, director, India Meteorological Bureau, Hyderabad had told Deccan Chronicle at the time.