Nights get warmer across Gujarat, Rajkot logs 17.9°C

.Rajkot: Night temperatures significantly shot up across Gujarat, indicating gradual easing of winter conditions under the impact of western disturbance, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.On Thursday night, Ahmedabad recorded a minimum temperature of 17.8°C, which was 5.3°C higher than normal, making it one of the warmest nights this Jan in the city. Rajkot too witnessed an unusually warm night, with the mercury settling at 17.9°C, around 5°C above the seasonal average. The cities experienced the warmest night in January, usually the coldest winter month. Other major cities also experienced elevated night temperatures. Vadodara reported a minimum of 17.8°C, 4.4°C above normal, while Surat remained on the warmer side at 18.4°C, about 3.1°C above normal. State capital Gandhinagar logged 15°C (2.2°C above normal), and Amreli logged 14.8°C, nearly 3°C above average.The IMD bulletin suggests that a western disturbance — a weather system that usually brings clouds, wind and sometimes rain to north India — has merged with a strong low-pressure area over north Pakistan. This combined system is pulling relatively warm and moist air from the Arabian Sea towards western India. Cold winds from the north have weakened.In coastal Saurashtra, Bhavnagar recorded 16.4°C, Porbandar 16.2°C, Veraval 18.2°C, and Jamnagar 17.2°C, all higher than typical mid-January levels. In north Gujarat, Deesa recorded a minimum of 14.5°C, over 4°C above normal, while Naliya, usually among the coldest places in the state, settled at 12°C, around 1.7°C above average.Day temperatures, however, remained near normal to slightly above normal across most districts, ranging between 27°C and 32°C, with Surat recording the highest maximum at 32.4°C, followed by Vadodara at 31.8°C and Ahmedabad at 30.8°C.