Heatwave-like conditions to abate gradually over next week in Mumbai: IMD

Mumbai experiences near-heatwave conditions for the second time this summer with both minimum and maximum temperatures soaring past normal.

Near-heatwave conditions descended in Mumbai on Thursday, for the second time this summer, with both minimum and maximum temperatures soaring past normal. The maximum temperature rose to 36.9 degrees Celsius (up from 33.9 degrees Celsius a day prior), while the minimum temperature settled at 28 degrees Celsius (up from 27.2 degrees Celsius the day prior). These readings were three and two degrees above normal, respectively.

Clear weather over citiscape, at Bandra, in Mumbai.

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.

“In Mumbai, we did not have a heatwave on Thursday, but given the relatively cooler temperatures we saw earlier this month, the spike would feel intense. Anti-cyclonic activity in the Arabian Sea is diminishing the influence of cooling sea breezes along the Konkan coast. To add to this, Cyclone Mocha in the Bay of Bengal is pulling moisture from over peninsular India leading to a spike in temperature not just in Konkan but also in interior Maharashtra,” said an official with the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) regional centre in Mumbai.

As per the IMD’s seven-day forecast for the city, the mercury will gradually taper off over the next week. Maximum temperature is forecasted to be around 36 degrees Celsius on Friday, May 12, and will settle at 33 degrees Celsius by May 17. The minimum temperature is expected to remain between 25-26 degrees Celsius during this period.