Mumbai temperatures rise to match season’s highest at 36.3°C

The city observed a warm Sunday as maximum temperatures rose significantly owing to hot and dry northwesterly winds. Temperature likely to remain similar on Monday.

The city observed a warm Sunday as maximum temperatures rose significantly owing to hot and dry northwesterly winds. India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Santacruz station, which represents the city and suburbs, recorded a maximum temperature of 36.3 degrees Celsius, at par with the season’s highest temperature recorded on February 2 and 21. The maximum temperature was 3.9 degrees above normal and 1.6 degrees above Saturday’s maximum temperature.

A fisherman in his boat in hazy weather off Bandra coast in Mumbai on Sunday. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

At Colaba, a maximum temperature of 32.8 degrees Celsius was recorded, which was 1.9 degrees above normal. This was also slightly higher than Saturday’s 31 degrees Celsius.

The rise in temperature was in line with IMD’s forecast for the day. “IMD had forecast rise in maximum temperature over the entire Konkan region including Mumbai because of hot and dry northwesterly winds in lower levels. Temperature will remain similar on Monday as well,” said Shubhangi Bhute, scientist at IMD, Mumbai.

Minimum temperatures also remained above normal. At Santacruz, a minimum temperature of 20.6 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees above normal, was recorded while it was 22.5 degrees Celsius at Colaba, 1.3 degrees above normal.

With rising temperatures, Mumbai’s air quality remained in the moderate range. An overall air quality index (AQI) — a pollutant measuring index — of 156 was recorded on Sunday.

AQI is a pollution measuring indicator and was calculated by the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) as the average of indices recorded at 10 locations in the city and suburbs. SAFAR categorises AQI levels for PM2.5 in the 0-50 range as good; 51-100 as satisfactory; 101-200 as moderate; 201-300 as poor; 301-400 as very poor and above 400 as severe.

“Air quality is in moderate category because of the rising temperatures and will remain so for the next two-three days,” said a spokesperson for SAFAR.