For the first time in six weeks, city sees below normal temperatures

Mumbai: For the first time since February 1, the city saw below-normal daytime temperatures; that too on two consecutive days: March 18 and 19

Mumbai: For the first time since February 1, the city saw below-normal daytime temperatures; that too on two consecutive days: March 18 and 19. On Sunday, according to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) base weather station in Santacruz, the city’s daytime temperature peaked at 31.1 degrees Celsius, the lowest in three years for March.

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The dip in temperature has been sharp. Just days ago, on March 12, the city was the hottest location in the country at 39.4 degrees Celsius, which was a whopping six degrees above normal. Sunday’s reading, meanwhile, was 3 degrees below normal, and down from a daytime maximum of 31.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which was two degrees below normal.

Since February 1, Mumbai has not experienced a single day when maximum temperatures fell below normal, on account of a rapidly terminating winter and an early onset summer. In fact, Mumbai has not been this cool since January 30’s daytime maximum of 29.7 degrees Celsius.

Sushma Nair, a meteorologist with the IMD’s regional centre in Mumbai, explained, “The dip in temperature is not surprising. Passing western disturbances are bringing cool air over the region, and the interaction with dry winds blowing from the east causes the temperature initially to rise and then cool down under the influence of thunderstorms and rain. The city can expect cool weather for another day, after which the daytime maximum will climb again.”

Due to quick wind speeds and recent unseasonal showers, the city’s AQI settled at a ‘moderate’ reading of 107, as per SAFAR. The CPCB’s daily AQI bulletin, as per which Mumbai had an AQI of 118 (moderate) on March 18, had not been published until late on Sunday night.