Daytime temperature dips after light rainfall
MUMBAI: The city woke up to an overcast sky on Saturday, with several parts of the suburbs reporting isolated drizzles in the morning.
Officials with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the unseasonal rains to the passage of a western disturbance in the north, due to which moisture was drawn from the Arabian Sea and deposited over parts of Maharashtra, including interior districts like Nashik and Dhule. As a result, the daytime temperature on Saturday dipped to 27.6 degrees Celsius as per the IMD’S monitoring station in Santacruz.
“Two western disturbances are supposed to pass over the region in about seven days. These weather systems will pull moisture from the sea, and the due to wind direction, Mumbai, Thane, parts of Palghar and some interior districts will see light to moderate rainfall, with a possibility of hailstorms,” said a meteorologist with the IMD. Though the IMD’S observatory in Santacruz recorded ‘nil’ rainfall at 8:30am on Saturday, it rained 4mm till 5.30pm. The incursion of moisture and wind speeds between 10 to 15kmph helped bring down the daytime temperature. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 27.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, down from 31.5 degrees Celsius the day prior, marking the lowest maximum recorded this month so far. As per IMD’S seven day forecast, the minimum temperature will drop to about 18 degrees Celsius in Sunday (down from 21.5 degrees Celsius the day prior), while the maximum reading will hover around 28 degrees Celsius. IMD officials also said that temperatures, both during the daytime and at night, will likely remain below normal till at least January 12.