Mumbai recorded its coldest temperature this season at 16.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. However, in the last decade, the lowest minimum temperature in December has always been under 15 degrees Celsius, making December 2019 much warmer than the rest.
On December 14, Mumbai recorded a minimum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. With existing weather conditions, it appeared that this would be the lowest the mercury would drop. However, on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, the Santacruz observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 16.4 degrees Celsius (one degree below normal), while the Colaba observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the maximum temperature also dipped to 28.8 degrees Celsius (three degrees below normal), making Tuesday the coldest day of the month and the season.
According to data shared by India Meteorological Department on Twitter, the Borivali (East) weather station recorded a minimum temperature below 15 degrees Celsius, but the figure from the Santacruz observatory is considered to be representative of the entire city.
In the past decade, the lowest minimum temperature has fallen below 15 degrees Celsius every single year, thus making 2019 the only year when it the temperatures did not plummet drastically. In that sense, this month is the warmest of the decade. However, the maximum temperature has been more or less normal, and not unusually warm. The all-time lowest minimum temperature is 10.6 degrees Celsius, which was recorded on December 20, 1949.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology) at private weather forecaster Skymet Weather, tweeted, “Mumbai witnessed fall of around four degrees in minimums, reason is cold winds from North East. We expect further drop during next two to three days, it may come down to 14 degrees. Vidarbha and Marathwada are all set to get good rains.”
Mr. Palawat was referring to Monday’s minimum temperature, which was at 20.2 degrees Celsius.
