Minimum temperature dips, brings relief to Mumbai

A surprise drop in temperature was felt in the suburbs on Wednesday morning, as Mumbai recorded its third-lowest minimum temperature in a decade for April, at 19.6 degrees Celsius, 3.4 degrees Celsius below normal.

A surprise drop in temperature was felt in the suburbs on Wednesday morning, as Mumbai recorded its third-lowest minimum temperature in a decade for April, at 19.6 degrees Celsius, 3.4 degrees Celsius below normal.

Meteorologists at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai, have attributed this fall in minimum temperature to a continuous change in wind patterns, because of cold winds coming in from the north. “We often notice such drops in temperature during the transition period from winter to summer, or monsoon to winter, and wind patterns keep changing,” said an IMD official.

Minimum temperatures had seen a rise both in south Mumbai and the suburbs by almost three degrees Celsius above normal since last week, but saw a sharp drop in Santacruz on Wednesday from Tuesday’s 23 degrees Celsius and Sunday’s 25.4 degrees Celsius.

Minimum temperatures in Colaba went down from 26 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees above normal) on Tuesday to 24.6 degrees Celsius (.5 degrees above normal) on Wednesday.

Maximum temperatures in the suburbs, on Wednesday, dropped to 33.6 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees Celsius below normal as compared to 35 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Maximum temperatures were 31.9 degrees Celsius, at the normal mark, in south Mumbai.

Mumbai saw a huge drop in moisture levels compared to the preceding days. Humidity levels recorded at Santacruz and Colaba were 44% and 50% respectively.

Weathermen have predicted clear skies for Thursday, with maximum and minimum temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius respectively.