Nashik: On Monday, the city of Nashik is the coldest in the state with a minimum temperature of 7.3 degrees Celsius.
Jalgaon followed with 9 degrees Celsius when Malegaon rounded the top three coldest cities in Maharashtra with 10.2 degrees Celsius.
In addition, the city of Nashik also recorded the lowest temperature of the season.
The lowest minimum temperature of the previous season was 8.4 degrees Celsius on December 22.
The minimum temperature in Nashik City fell 7.5 degrees from Sunday 14.8 degrees Celsius to 7.3 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Niphad – the belt of the main wine taking in the district, recorded a minimum temperature at 6.1 degrees Celsius.
Anupam Kashyapi, Head of the Weather Forecasting Division IMD, Pune, said there was a bright sky with low moisture.
In addition, there are severe cold wave conditions in North India because the snow falls.
This is the reason for a decline in the minimum temperature in the city of Nashik and North Maharashtra.
Kashyapi said there might be further decline in the minimum temperature on Tuesday and cold conditions could continue for the next two days.
According to the weather station at the Agriculture Research Center from Mahatma Phule Rahuri Krishi Vidyapeth (MPKV) in Niphad, the minimum temperature here previously dropped to 6.5 degrees Celsius on December 22, 2020.
“Rainfall is good for plants, but falling temperatures is not good – especially For wine, “Kashyapi added.
At present, vineyards are preparing to harvest.
If the temperature drops below 6 degrees Celsius, fruit growth may be affected and they may be cracked, said Kailas Bhosle, a senior office carrier from Maharashtra Rajya Draksha Bagayatdar Sangh (MRDBS), a wine farmer association.
Bhosle further wine farmers take steps like giving water to the vineyard through a drip method at the hours to maintain the temperature.
Some farmers also follow old traditional methods to make campfires in vineyards.