MUMBAI: A day after several parts of the city reported isolated, unseasonal drizzles, the minimum temperature – it is typically recorded just before sunrise – dropped to 18.2 degrees Celsius (°C) on Sunday (down from 21.5°C the day prior), marking Mumbai’s coolest winter morning of the season. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) considers January and February to be winter months, while October to December are considered the post-monsoon months.
The city also recorded the highest rainfall for the month in a decade with the Santacruz weather station – representative of Mumbai – recording 4.1mm rain in 24 hours (Saturday 8.30am to Sunday 8.30am).
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IMD officials 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 such as Nashik and Dhule.
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Western disturbances are low-pressure systems that originate in the Mediterranean and flow to the east along with westerly winds, often bringing rain to north India during the winter months.
As a result, the day temperature on Saturday also dipped to its lowest in a week, and, according to the IMD’s monitoring station in Santacruz, settling at 27.6°C due to strong winds and the sudden incursion of moisture.
“There may be a second western disturbance within a few days, which will bring a shorter spell of more intense showers to Mumbai and surrounding areas. The temperature, both maximum and minimum, may drop even further as a result,” said a meteorologist with the IMD’s regional forecasting centre in Mumbai.
According to IMD’s seven-day forecast for Mumbai, the minimum temperature will hover around 18-19°C over the next week, while the maximum reading will hover around 28°C. IMD officials also said that temperatures, both during the day and night, will likely remain below normal till at least January 12. The IMD’s Santacruz observatory recorded 4mm of rain in the 24 hours ending 8:30am on Saturday, with ‘nil’ rainfall recorded during the night hours.
