Mumbai has experienced a sharp decline in the minimum temperature in the last 48 hours with India Meteorological Department (IMD) recording 14 degrees Celsius on Monday, December 16. This marked second coldest morning of the season. It dropped from 16.3°C the previous day, December 15.
This marks a six-degree decline from the 20.1 degrees Celsius recorded on Saturday, December 14.
While the Santacruz observatory recorded minimum temperatures of 14 degrees, the Colaba observatory recorded 19.8 degrees C, which was 1.3 degrees below normal. Meanwhile, maximum temperatures recorded by the IMD Colaba and Santacruz observatories were 34 and 34.8 degrees, respectively. This was two degrees and 2.5 degrees below normal, respectively.
However, IMD indicated that minimum temperatures are likely to rise in the coming days.
On Tuesday, December 17, the weather department’s Santacruz observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 15 degrees Celsius and Colaba station recorded 20 degrees Celsius.
In its forecast for December 18, the experts stated that the temperature will rise to 18 degrees. "A sunny day in the city and suburbs is expected on Tuesday, while on December 18, haze during morning hours in suburbs is expected, with it becoming clear sky towards afternoon/evening in the city and suburbs," stated the IMD in its forecast.
Moreover, meteorologists now anticipate a further sharp decline in temperatures across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, in the coming days.
This sudden change, described by many as "unexpected," has already started to take effect.
Temperatures in Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada regions may fall even more on Tuesday, though no such conditions are expected in areas like Mumbai, Konkan, Vidarbha, North and South Maharashtra, an IMD official told PTI.