The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a cold wave warning for multiple districts across Maharashtra, with conditions expected to persist until Saturday, December 13. A yellow alert has been announced for several regions as minimum temperatures continue to drop, marking what officials say is the harshest winter the state has experienced in the last five years.

According to the IMD, districts such as Jalgaon, Pune, Solapur, Nashik, Jalna and Nagpur are under a yellow alert, while Mumbai remains outside the warning zone for now. For Friday, December 12, the alert expands to cover Nashik, Solapur, Pune, Parbhani and Jalna, among other locations.

On Thursday, the IMD projected that maximum temperatures across affected regions would hover around 33 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures were expected to dip to around 16 degrees Celsius. The Mumbai Regional Meteorological Centre added that isolated pockets in Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada are likely to experience cold wave conditions from December 11 to 13.

In its latest bulletin, the IMD noted that no major fluctuations are expected in the maximum temperatures across the state over the next four to five days. However, a gradual decline of 2–3 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures is forecast over the next three days, to be followed by a slight rise thereafter.

Cold Conditions Across India

Maharashtra is not the only state bracing for colder weather. The IMD has also sounded cold wave warnings for Telangana, North Interior Karnataka and North Interior Odisha. Meanwhile, dense fog conditions are expected across several northeastern states—Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram—from December 11 to 15. Dense fog is also likely to cover Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana between December 13 and 15.

For the winter season spanning December 2025 to February 2026, the IMD has predicted above-normal cold wave days for parts of central India, as well as certain areas in northwest and northeast India. This seasonal forecast suggests prolonged and intensified cold spells compared to previous years.

Maharashtra’s Harshest Winter Since 2020

This year’s winter has been particularly severe for Maharashtra. As reported earlier, the state has recorded the highest number of cold wave and severe cold wave days since 2020. Between November and December 9 alone, Maharashtra experienced five cold wave days—significantly more than in recent years, when the state often saw either no cold wave days or only short-lived periods of cold weather.

Experts attribute this year’s temperature drop to a combination of dry, northerly winds sweeping across Maharashtra and a notable lack of humidity. According to a former head of the IMD Pune forecasting division, these conditions, along with clear night skies, have led to rapid radiational cooling after sunset. This phenomenon allows heat to escape quickly from the earth’s surface, causing sharp declines in nighttime temperatures.

As the cold wave continues through the week, residents in the affected districts have been advised to take necessary precautions, particularly during early morning and night hours when temperatures are at their lowest. The IMD will continue to monitor the situation closely and issue updates as needed.