MUMBAI: The city woke up to an exceptionally cold Monday morning—the minimum temperature of 13.2 degrees logged by IMD’s Santacruz observatory was the lowest this season.
The maximum daytime temperature also set a record, with Santacruz registering 25.1 degrees, over six degrees below normal and the lowest for any January day in a decade. IMD’s Colaba observatory recorded 25.7 degrees, 4.8 degrees below normal.
The lowest minimum temperature last January was 14.8 degrees; it was 11.4 degrees in 2020. The all-time lowest minimum temperature was on January 22, 1962, at 7.4 degrees.
The chill comes close on the heels of the unseasonal rain, which was also the highest recorded in January in a decade. IMD has forecast a further dip for the city with minimum temperatures expected to touch 12 degrees on Tuesday.
Feel of hill station in city, vicinity as temperature dips
The minimum temperature recorded at the Santacruz observatory on Monday was lower than that in the interiors of the state like Dahanu, which recorded15 degrees, and Ratnagiri 19 degrees.
Temperatures in the city and its vicinity were very close to hill station-like weather as Mahabaleshwar was seen recording minimum temperatures of 10 degrees on Sunday night.
The India Meteorological Department’s Colaba observatory also recorded below-normal minimum temperatures of 15. 2 degrees which was over four degrees below normal.
Weather bureau officials said that the city’s first strong spell of chilly weather was on account of a combination of factors. “The associated cyclonic circulation of western disturbance over northwest India pulling the moisture from the Arabian Sea and the prevalence of northerly cold winds over the region are leading to this chill,” said an official from the Met department.
Previously, the lowest minimum temperature recorded in a decade was 10. 4 degrees on January 29, 2012. The lowest maximum temperature recorded previously was 25. 3 degrees on January 17, 2020.
Only a couple of days ago, the city witnessed light rainfall measuring 4 mm This too was another instance of a first in a decade when it rained in the city in the month of January.
In the last ten years, even on years when the month of January recorded rainfall, it had been below1mm. Also, several parts of Mumbai and its adjoining areas, like Thane and Navi Mumbai for instance, had witnessed overcast skies along with unseasonal and intermittent light rainfall all through Saturday.
The light rainfall had significantly brought down maximum temperatures in the city
