Mumbai recorded the coldest January day in a decade on Thursday, with maximum temperature dipping to 25.3 degrees Celsius — six degrees below normal. The minimum temperature at 15.4 degrees was not the lowest of the season, but the small gap between minimum and maximum temperatures meant that Mumbaikars felt the chill through the day.
Daytime temperatures have been falling through the week, from 30.1 degrees Celsius on Monday to 29.1 on Tuesday and 28.3 on Wednesday. The all-time highest maximum temperature for the month is 37.4 degrees, recorded on January 16, 2006. Thursday’s maximum temperature was the lowest for the month since 2009. In the last decade, day temperatures have not fallen under 26 degrees Celsius.
Minimum temperature at 15.4 degrees was also two degrees below normal. The coldest January night ever in the city was on January 22, 1962, at 7.4 degrees Celsius. However, the coldest January night every year in the past decade has been colder than Thursday, between 10 and 14 degrees Celsius. Minimum temperature is yet to dip below that this year.
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The lowest minimum temperature on Thursday was recorded at Borivali at 12.9 degrees, while at Chembur the mercury dipped to 16.8, Mulund 15.4, Powai 14.3, Worli 18 and Colaba 17.6.
“Lowest maximum temperature indicates the severity of chill during the daytime. The effect is due to the western disturbance in north India and northerly winds. Temperature will drop further on Friday and may pick up after Saturday. Minimum temperature will also drop further,” said K.S. Hosalikar, deputy director general of meteorology at India Meteorological Department.