Heatwave-like conditions begin abating

Mumbai's temperature on Friday was 35.2°C despite the IMD's heatwave warning; IMD predicts a maximum temperature of 35°C on Saturday and 33°C by May 18.

Mumbai: Despite the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) heatwave warning issued earlier in the day, the city’s daytime temperature on Friday dipped to 35.2 degrees Celsius. This was down from 36.9 degrees Celsius a day prior when Mumbai escaped a heatwave by a slim margin of 2 degrees Celsius.

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A heatwave in coastal areas occurs when the maximum temperature surpasses 37 degrees Celsius for two days, or when the deviation from normal is between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius. The last heatwave over Mumbai occurred between April 18-21, when the maximum temperature hovered between 37.2 and 38.8 degrees Celsius.

As per the IMD’s seven-day forecast for Mumbai, the daytime maximum temperature on Saturday will not exceed 35 degrees Celsius and will settle at 33 degrees Celsius by May 18. “As Cyclone Mocha in the Bay of Bengal intensifies, westerly winds are becoming stronger over the west coast bringing down the temperature in Mumbai. There could be some cloudy conditions with slight drizzles by May 14,” said an official with the IMD’s regional centre in Mumbai.