Feeling the heat? It’s going to get worse

You can expect hotter days ahead this month. On Sunday, the maximum temperature nearly touched the highest recorded in the month of May in the past five years.

You can expect hotter days ahead this month. On Sunday, the maximum temperature nearly touched the highest recorded in the month of May in the past five years.

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On Sunday, weather stations at Colaba and Santacruz recorded a maximum temperature of 35 degree Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows that between 2005 and 2009, the mercury touched the 35-degree mark only in the last week of May.

“A rise in temperature is expected and the next few weeks could be worse,” said R.V. Sharma, deputy director (western region), IMD.

Humidity is also rising, making it not just hot but also sweaty. The average humidity recorded on Sunday was 80 per cent.

Weathermen said in Mumbai, March and April tend to be hotter than May. The IMD data for the summer months (February to May) since 1962 shows that March has seen temperatures touching 41.1 degree Celsius (on March 12, 1985). In May, it usually hovers between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius.

This year, the highest temperature recorded in March was around 36 degree Celsius.