Higher temperatures, thunderstorm likely this week in Mumbai

With the official southwest monsoon season having ended on September 30, temperatures in the city are on their way up, touching a maximum of 34.5°Celsius (C) for two consecutive days on October 4 and 5. This is two degrees higher than normal, after temperatures remained consistently at normal or below normal in the last week of September, according to the India Meteorological Department’s automatic weather station in Santacruz.

With the official southwest monsoon season having ended on September 30, temperatures in the city are on their way up, touching a maximum of 34.5°Celsius (C) for two consecutive days on October 4 and 5. This is two degrees higher than normal, after temperatures remained consistently at normal or below normal in the last week of September, according to the India Meteorological Department’s automatic weather station in Santacruz. The minimum temperature at night, too, remained 2 degrees above normal at 26°C on Tuesday.

The minimum temperature at night, too, remained 2 degrees above normal at 26°C on Tuesday. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

The city saw heavy thunder and lightning on Tuesday evening, between 7pm and 8pm, along with light to moderate rain in a few locations. IMD officials said the withdrawal of the monsoon over Mumbai and the rest of the Konkan coast is unlikely before October 15, and also warned that intensity of rain may also pick up briefly between October 10 and 11.

As per the IMD’s seven-day forecast for Mumbai, daytime temperatures may rise to as much as 37°C by October 11 and night temperatures are expected to remain between 26-27°C. In October 2020, the city had experienced a maximum temperature of 35°C on the 10th, 28th and 29th of the month. The highest October temperature was recorded at 38.6°C in 2015.