City temperature fluctuates; cold spell to be short-lived, says IMD

The city’s temperatures have been fluctuating dramatically since the beginning of December, with the mercury rising 5 degree Celsius early Tuesday morning, just a day after the city recorded its coldest December day in nine years

MUMBAI: The city’s temperatures have been fluctuating dramatically since the beginning of December, with the mercury rising 5 degree Celsius early Tuesday morning, just a day after the city recorded its coldest December day in nine years.

City temperature fluctuates; cold spell to be short-lived, says IMD

The Santacruz observatory recorded 13.7 degrees Celsius on Monday, 5.1 degree below normal. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature, measured at 5:30am on Tuesday, reached 18 degree Celsius, while Colaba registered a relatively higher reading of 20.8 degree Celsius. Despite the increase from the previous morning, minimum temperatures at both weather stations remained close to normal values.

However, IMD officials on Monday indicated the cold spell will be short-lived - till Tuesday. Sushma Nair, a scientist at IMD Mumbai, told HT that a low-pressure zone would gradually become well marked, and bring in easterly winds that will raise the temperature.

IMD said the city’s scorching temperatures the previous week - when the maximum reached 37.3 degree Celsius, the highest December reading in 13 years, and the minimum touched 25.5 degree Celsius on Wednesday - were due to the combined effects of Cyclone Fengal and easterly winds, which caused a considerable temperature rise.

On Tuesday, the maximum temperature recorded at Santacruz was 33.8 degree Celsius, one degree above normal. Colaba touched 32, which was at normal value.

Meanwhile, the overall average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday was at 131, in the moderate level, affecting those with asthma and respiratory illnesses, with ozone as the prominent pollutant.