LEFT OUT IN THE COLD: Petromax-bearers bring light to festivities and all types of celebrations, but are sometimes forced to sleep on pavements, braving the cold. — Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: The city recorded its lowest night temperature this winter with the mercury dipping to 10.4 degree C on Thursday, four degrees below normal. After holding the city in its cold grip initially last month, it had diminished for a while before coming back with a bang, sending shivers all around literally.

About a month ago the city was experiencing the peak winter season blues when the minimum temperature plunged to 12 degrees Celsius.

The cold wave conditions in the city and parts of Telangana were then attributed to the strong northerly winds and the phenomenon lasted for a couple of days.

But now winter seems to have arrived fully, that too earlier by a week. "The winter season normally sets in from the middle of December but this year it has arrived early," the Director of Hyderabad Met Office Sudhakar Rao said.

He said the present drop in temperature was due to the cyclonic storm that brought the temperature below normal in Telangana with Adilabad recording the lowest at seven degrees Celsius.

"The system is likely to intensify further and move towards Tamil Nadu coast in the next two days. But the temperature may not drop further as there are no strong northerly winds," he said.

Woollens out

The drop in minimum temperature has once again brought the woollens and mufflers out. Bonfires, a common sight during wintry nights, have made an appearance with people, mostly the shelter-less, taking comfort from them. "This year has been extreme in the weather sense. The summer has been torrid, rainy season unusually wet and now the winter is already cold like never before," observed a resident.

What lies ahead?

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