Telangana is in the grip of a cold wave lasting for days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) cites dry air, clear skies, and north and northeast winds as the key reasons. Dry air means less water vapor, which normally traps heat. Without it, the ground loses heat faster at night. Clear skies add to this cooling as no clouds are there to hold the heat back. The winds blowing from inland India bring chilly and dry air, not the moist air from the Bay of Bengal. This keeps nighttime temperatures low even if day temperatures feel normal. The cold wave warning began in mid-November, but it has continued because these winds and dry air have stayed in place. On December 11, the IMD said cold-wave conditions were seen in some places in Telangana and warned they were "very likely" to remain until December 14. The bulletin added there would be "no significant change" in minimum temperatures across most parts of India next week. The IMD considers temperatures at or below 10°C with a drop of 4.5ºC to 6.4ºC from normal as a cold wave. Telangana meets these standards now. A weak western disturbance is expected to affect the western Himalayas from December 13, which might cause a 2-4ºC rise in minimum temperatures in Telangana between December 13 and 15. Until then, the cold wave will continue its chilly hold.