At 36.3°Celsius, city records season’s highest temperature
As IMD considers Jan and Feb as winter months, this is the highest temperature recorded in the ongoing winter season. Nov-dec are months when the transition in temperatures happens. OFFICIAL, India Meteorological Department
MUMBAI: The city recorded the season’s highest temperature on Tuesday. The Santacruz station of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which is indicative of the city’s temperature, recorded a maximum temperature of 36.3 degrees Celsius, which was 4.9 degrees above normal. The temperatures soar after a week-long spell of cold conditions last week and is in line with IMD’S forecast.
“As IMD considers January and February as winter months, this is the highest temperature recorded in the ongoing winter season. November and December are months when the transition in temperatures happens,” said an official from IMD.
Prior to this, the Santacruz station had recorded a maximum temperature of 35.3 degrees Celsius on January 12.
The Colaba weather station, which is representative of the weather in south Mumbai, also recorded high temperature at 33.8 degrees Celsius, which was 3.5 degrees above normal.
The minimum temperatures were also higher than normal. At Santacruz, the minimum temperature was 19.2 degrees Celsius, which was 1.6 degrees above normal, while at Colaba the minimum temperature was 22 degrees Celsius –2.4 degrees above normal.
“The delayed setting-in of sea breeze led to higher temperatures in and around Mumbai. In the morning, there was land breeze with easterly component that continued to dominate almost till 3.30pm. This delayed the setting of sea breeze, which normally happens before 1pm. However, gradual reduction in both day and night temperatures is expected in the coming fourfive days,” said KS Hosalikar, deputy director general (western region), IMD, on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the air quality, which had improved slightly on Monday, worsened on Tuesday, but continued to remain in the poor category. An overall air quality index (AQI) — an air quality indicator— of 283 was measured on Tuesday, as opposed to Monday’s 221. Navi Mumbai had the worst air quality with an AQI of 359 (very poor), followed by Mazagaon at 325, while Andheri and Malad recorded an AQI of 303. “The air quality of Mumbai is in the poor category. With the current calm wind conditions, local emission with continental pollution to keep the AQI poor for Mumbai in the next two days,” shortrange forecast by SAFAR stated
The AQI is calculated by the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) as the average of indices recorded at 10 locations in and around Mumbai. SAFAR categorises AQI levels for PM2.5 in the 0-50 range as good; 51-100 as satisfactory; 101-200 as moderate; 201-300 as poor; 301-400 as very poor and above 400 as severe.