Archive · 11 Nov 2025
Gujarat's Unusual Cold: Vadodara Colder Than Desert Naliya Due to Local Factors
Imagine you have two blankets on a cold night.
One blanket is thin and lets heat escape easily, while the other is thicker and keeps heat in.
Cities can be like these blankets!
On certain nights, Vadodara acted like the thin blanket, losing heat quickly because of factors like clear skies and dry air.
Naliya, being closer to the sea and possibly having more moisture or clouds, acted more like the thicker blanket, holding onto its heat.
Weather experts also point to the direction of the wind; cool, dry winds blowing towards Vadodara made it colder, while winds near Naliya were influenced by the sea, keeping it a bit warmer.
Even the amount of greenery and how open or built-up a city is can affect how quickly it cools down overnight.
So, even though Naliya is in a desert, local weather conditions made Vadodara feel colder on those specific days.
Naliya, typically the coldest area in Gujarat, recorded higher minimum temperatures than Vadodara on November 8 and 9.
Vadodara showed the highest departure of 4.9 degrees from normal minimum temperatures on November 8.
Weather experts cite cloudy nights, wind patterns, humidity, and green cover as reasons for this unusual temperature variation.
Dry inland air and clear, calm nights in Vadodara contributed to faster heat loss, while coastal Naliya experienced warmer temperatures due to sea influence and potential cloud cover.
Light north-easterly winds brought cool, dry air to central Gujarat, while western parts received warmer, sea-influenced air.
- Who
- Weather experts and India Meteorological Department (IMD)
- What
- Vadodara recorded lower minimum temperatures than Naliya, an unusual phenomenon for the region, which is typically colder.
- When
- November 8 and 9
- Where
- Gujarat, specifically comparing Vadodara (eastern central) and Naliya (Thar desert area).
- Why
- Unusual phenomenon attributed to local conditions including cloudy nights, wind patterns, humidity, green cover, and air moisture content, causing Vadodara to cool more significantly than Naliya.
Factors Contributing to Vadodara's Cold
Factors Contributing to Naliya's Warmer Temperatures
Wind Patterns
Factors Contributing to Vadodara's Cold
Light north-easterly winds bring cool and dry air to central Gujarat, making it colder. Easterly winds are prevailing in the east and central parts of Gujarat.
Factors Contributing to Naliya's Warmer Temperatures
Westerly to north-westerly winds, along with coastal winds, influence western parts like Naliya, keeping them slightly warmer.
Night Sky Conditions
Factors Contributing to Vadodara's Cold
Cities with clear skies and calm winds lose heat faster at night, contributing to colder temperatures in places like Vadodara.
Factors Contributing to Naliya's Warmer Temperatures
Cloud cover can act like a blanket, reducing heat loss at night and keeping coastal areas like Naliya warmer. Weak western disturbances bring clouds and moisture to Kutch first.
Air Moisture Content
Factors Contributing to Vadodara's Cold
Dry inland air, common in Vadodara, cools quickly at night.
Factors Contributing to Naliya's Warmer Temperatures
Moist air near the coast, like in Naliya, cools slowly, resulting in higher minimum temperatures.
Local Conditions and Greenery
Factors Contributing to Vadodara's Cold
Greener and more open cities like Vadodara, with conditions like farms or recent soil moisture, cool down faster at night.
Factors Contributing to Naliya's Warmer Temperatures
Dense, built-up, or dry, rocky areas may not cool as rapidly as open, green spaces.
- Date of Observation
- November 8 and 9
- Vadodara Minimum Temperature (Nov 8)
- 14° Celsius
- Naliya Minimum Temperature (Nov 8)
- 15.4° Celsius
- Gandhinagar Minimum Temperature (Nov 9)
- 14° Celsius (as per Nov 9 data, though Nov 8 was 19.8°C)
- Naliya Minimum Temperature (Nov 9)
- 14.2° Celsius (as per Nov 9 data, though Nov 8 was 19.5°C)
- Departure from Normal (Vadodara, Nov 8)
- 4.9° Celsius higher than normal
