Mumbai gets brief respite from heat due to overcast conditions

Mumbai saw unusually overcast skies for March on Sunday, which is related to the formation of Cyclone Asani in the Bay of Bengal

Mumbai: After a spell of rising temperatures and a recent severe heat wave, the city experienced a brief respite from heat owing to fluctuations in prevailing weather patterns after the formation of a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal.

Aerial view of cityscape from Western Express Highway, Jogeshwari on a hazy and cloudy day all over Mumbai on Sunday. (Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

As a result, Mumbai also saw unusually cloudy skies for the month of March on Sunday, when the temperature dipped to 31.7 degrees Celsius (one degrees below normal), down from 33.2 degrees Celsius the day prior and 36.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, March 18. This marks the first time that Mumbai has seen a below normal daytime temperature since at least March 3.

“Mumbai saw unusually overcast skies for March on Sunday, which is related to the formation of Cyclone Asani in the Bay of Bengal. There is a well-marked low-pressure system formation which has scuttled winds across peninsular India, including the Konkan region, and caused cloud formation which is blocking the intense solar radiation. As a result, the daytime temperatures in Mumbai have fallen perceptibly. Though, the minimum temperature will not dip much because there has also been a rise in relative humidity levels, which will trap heat during the late night and early morning,” said an official with the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) regional forecasting centre in Mumbai.

Relative humidity recorded at 5:30pm in Mumbai on Sunday stood at 71%, as opposed to 55% the day prior. Sunday’s minimum temperature was recorded at 23.6 (two degrees above normal), the same as 23.6 degrees Celsius minimum temperature on Saturday. Despite the overcast conditions, however, Mumbai saw no rainfall on Sunday, as was the case with some districts in central India like Nashik, Beed and Ahmednagar.

Officials have also predicted the possibility of light showers in the south Konkan region over the next 24 hours.

As per the IMD’s seven-day forecast for Mumbai, the daytime maximum temperature in Mumbai will range between 32 to 34 degrees Celsius till March 26, while the minimum temperature will range between 23 and 24 degrees Celsius.