Mumbai likely to experience heatwave over the weekend: IMD

Possibility of another heatwave in Mumbai this weekend. Temperatures may reach 38-39 degrees Celsius. IMD to give warning by Thursday to avoid panic.

Mumbai: The possibility of another heatwave beginning this weekend looms large over the city. While no warning has been put out till now, the heatwave is possibly forecasted to start on Saturday and continue till Monday, with temperatures reaching between 38 to 39 degrees Celsius. The previous heatwave started on Monday, April 15 and continued till Tuesday, April 16.

A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal temperature exceeds 6.4 notches. (PTI)

“There is an anticyclonic circulation expected, and due to the wind flow patterns, we suspect there may be another heatwave incoming,” said Sushma Nair, scientist at IMD. “We will wait till Thursday to give a warning, to avoid undue panic.”

On Tuesday, the temperature recorded at Santacruz was 34.2 degrees Celsius, with humidity at 72%. The minimum was 25 degrees Celsius. Colaba recorded a maximum of 32.1 degrees Celsius with humidity at similar levels and a minimum of 25.5 degrees Celsius.

During the previous heatwave, temperatures on the first day touched 37.9 degrees Celsius, and 39.7 degrees Celsius on the second day. At 6.3 degrees above normal, it was the hottest day of the season and the highest temperature in Mumbai in April in over a decade. In coastal cities, the threshold for a heatwave warning is 37 degrees Celsius for two days, or when the deviation from normal is between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius.