Temperatures to remain high for next two days, IMD

Mumbai experienced its hottest August day at 33.6°C, with temperatures staying high despite partly cloudy skies and light rain. A yellow alert for thunderstorms is issued.

Mumbai: A day after the city experienced its hottest day of August at 33.6 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous high of 33.5 degrees in 1969, the heat continued to be relentless, despite partly cloudy skies, mild breezes and light rain showers.

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The Colaba Observatory of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a high of 33.3 degrees Celsius, 2.9 degrees above normal. Colaba reached a maximum of 32.4 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees above normal. Along with humidity of 76% and 77% respectively, this created a stuffy atmosphere.

The minimum temperatures recorded on Monday were also above normal, with Santacruz at 27.6 degrees Celsius, 2.4 degrees above normal, and Colaba recorded at 27.4 degrees Celsius, 2.1 degrees Celsius above normal.

No rain was recorded by any of the observatories.

“The temperatures will continue in the same range for the next two days, between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius. They will reduce after,” said Sushma Nair, a scientist at IMD Mumbai. “Rains may increase in the last week of August with the strengthening of the westerlies, bringing temperatures down with it.”

In between, a yellow alert has been sounded for Wednesday, due to the likelihood of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds (30-40kmph) at isolated places. “There are thunderstorms in and around Mumbai, so there is a possibility they may occur,” said Nair.

When asked if there was a possibility the record would be broken again, Nair said such a prediction wasn’t possible. “The previous high of 33.5 degrees Celsius in August was on August 3, 2020, and August 26, 1969. We broke it by a point,” she added.