Weather extremes: Hottest city in state sees second coldest December night in nine years

Mumbai experiences extreme weather with record highs and lows in December, hitting 14°C at night and 37.3°C during the day, causing dramatic temperature swings.

Mumbai: The city remains Maharashtra’s hottest even as it recorded its second-coldest December night in nine years, with the minimum temperature dropping to 14°C on Sunday. This comes amid weather extremes, with December 4 marking the hottest December day in 13 years, as the mercury soared to 37.3°C.

Weather extremes: Hottest city in state sees second coldest December night in nine years

The Santacruz observatory reported a maximum temperature of 34.8°C, 2.5°C above normal, while the minimum was 4.5°C below average. On December 9, the city recorded its coldest night in nearly a decade, with the temperature plummeting to 13.7°C.

At Colaba, Monday’s maximum temperature touched 34°C, 2°C above normal, while the minimum stood at 19.8°C, 1.3°C below the average for this time of year.

Sushma Nair, scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, explained, “Easterly winds and dry conditions are delaying the sea breeze, reducing humidity. Clear skies allow temperatures to soar during the day, while an anticyclonic circulation over northern Maharashtra and Gujarat is causing significant dips at night.”

Weather experts predict a slight rise in minimum temperatures over the next two days before a gradual increase. Maximum temperatures are expected to remain steady or slightly decline.

This December’s dramatic weather swings have made Mumbai a city of extremes, with sweltering days and unusually chilly nights—a rarity for this time of year.