After a prolonged period of sweltering heat and high humidity, Mumbai experienced a refreshing change on Tuesday morning, marking the coldest day of the season so far. The Santacruz observatory reported a minimum temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius, providing a welcome respite for the city’s residents.
According to meteorologists and weather experts, the decline in temperature can be attributed to the arrival of northerly winds on Sunday. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Colaba noted a minimum temperature of 18.8 degrees Celsius, indicating a significant drop from Monday’s 22 degrees Celsius.
Prior to this shift, January 6 marked the coldest day of the season when temperatures plummeted to 17.5 degrees Celsius. Subsequently, the city experienced an unexpected surge in temperature, reaching a peak of 35.7 degrees Celsius on January 12, the highest for January in the past seven years.
Sushma Nair, a Scientist at IMD Mumbai, explained, “Last week, the city endured high temperatures due to prominent southeasterly winds, characterized by moisture. However, since Sunday, the northerly wind component, dry and cold in nature, has prevailed, resulting in a noticeable temperature drop.”
The maximum temperature in the city has also decreased from Monday’s nearly 34 degrees Celsius to around 31 degrees in both the suburbs and the island city division. IMD scientists predict the maximum temperature to hover between 30 to 31 degrees Celsius for a day or two before dropping below 30 degrees.
Additionally, Mumbai experienced an improvement in air quality, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 69, categorized as ‘satisfactory.’ With only two exceptions, all 24 monitoring stations in the city recorded a double-digit AQI. Notably, Vile Parle West (45) and Borivali East (38) showcased the best air quality, falling into the ‘good’ category, attributed to the change in wind direction, as stated by Nair.