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The month began with maximum temperatures in both the island city and suburbs hovering mostly around 30 °C.
However, since Monday, maximum temperatures began rising, with Santacruz on Wednesday soaring to 36.3 degrees, more than three degrees above normal while Colaba recorded 35.1 degrees, more than two degrees above normal.
On Thursday, Colaba recorded an even higher temperature with 35.3 degrees whereas it dropped marginally to 36 degrees in Santacruz. Such temperatures are unusual for December, considered a winter month by the India Meteorological Department(IMD).
The Met department has attributed this rise in maximum temperatures to the easterly winds. “We do not attach much significance to an increase in maximum temperatures during winter.
However, this rise could be because the winds currently are easterly or south-easterly, which are land winds and tend to be warm. Also, cool sea breeze from the Arabian Sea is not setting in nowadays,” said VK Rajeev, Director, IMD.
Minimum temperatures were also high on Thursday with the island city recording 24.4 degrees and the suburbs recording 22.2 degrees, both two and a half degrees above their respective normals.Weather officials expect temperatures to be high on Friday and Saturday. “Till easterly winds continue, maximum temperatures will be high. Then, it should normalise,” said Rajeev.
