Cyclone 'Arnab' pulls Vidarbha daytime temperatures down, Gondia records just 24.8 degrees Celsius

Nagpur: Skies stayed cloudy over several parts of Vidarbha on Thursday and there was light rain as well. Daytime temperatures dropped sharply, giving people relief from the usual October heat. The lowest maximum temperature was recorded in Gondia at 24.8 degrees Celsius, which is 6.8 degrees below normal.

The weather stayed cool through the day in Nagpur and the surrounding districts too. With clouds overhead and intermittent rain, the mercury could not climb. The sudden change has been attributed to the influence of Cyclone 'Arnab', which has altered the atmosphere over the region.

Gondia saw the biggest fall in the day temperature and stayed below the 25-degree mark. Brahmapuri followed with a maximum of 25.7 degrees Celsius, while Gadchiroli recorded 26 degrees Celsius. The mercury in Amravati was 26.6 degrees Celsius, in Chandrapur 27.2 degrees Celsius and in Yavatmal 28.6 degrees Celsius.

Maximum temperatures in Nagpur, Wardha and Washim also stayed below 30 degrees Celsius, which indicates that the effect of the clouds was spread across the region. In contrast, Akola and Buldhana remained comparatively warm, with maximums going past 30 degrees Celsius.

Notably, while daytime temperatures fell sharply, minimum temperatures stayed above normal across Vidarbha. The clouds and rain thus affected the day's heat more, while night temperatures remained relatively high.

Vidarbha is usually hot in October, but for a short while this time the picture looked different. Clouds, light rain and less sunshine made the daytime weather quite pleasant in many districts.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the changed weather is likely to continue in the coming days. The sky is forecast to be partly cloudy on October 30 and 31. From November 1, the region is likely to see cloudy skies for two to three days.

This extended spell of cloud could keep daytime temperatures in check. However, how much effect it has will depend on how heavy the rain is and where it falls.

For Nagpur and the rest of Vidarbha, the fall in the daytime mercury was a welcome relief from the October heat. Even so, the above-normal minimum temperatures show that the cool did not reach the whole region evenly.