Mercury rises after 2 days, offers relief to Mumbaiites

After the two coldest days of winter so far, temperatures rose on Friday owing to a shift in wind patterns.

After the two coldest days of winter so far, temperatures rose on Friday owing to a shift in wind patterns.

Auto rickshaw drivers start a bonfire to beat the cold at Ghatkopar on Friday. (Arijit Sen/HT PHOTO)

The Santacruz weather station, representative of the suburbs, recorded a minimum temperature of 13.6 degrees Celsius, which was 3.3 degrees Celsius above normal. Night temperatures went as low as 11.9 degrees Celsius on Thursday (5 degrees Celsius below normal) and 12.5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday (4.4 degrees Celsius below normal).

The night temperature at Colaba, too, increased from 16 degrees Celsius over the past two days to 17.5 degrees Celsius (1.6 degree Celsius below normal) on Friday.

“Over the past two days the city has experienced cold winds from the northern parts of the country. But on Thursday night and Friday morning this pattern changed to warm north-easterly winds,” said VK Rajeev, director, western region, India Meteorological Department (IMD). “We expect the current conditions to continue over the weekend.”

Meanwhile, high pollution levels were recorded in the city as the air quality index for Friday was 272 (poor). The System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) predicted an AQI of 271 (poor) for Saturday. “While temperatures might have increased, the sea breeze set in late on Friday. This phenomenon did not allow pollutants disperse fast,” said Rajeev.