Warmer days, nights in Mumbai signal summer may be here soon, say experts

Maximum temperature rises to 35.1°C on Friday

Daytime temperatures have been steadily climbing in the city, with maximum temperature reaching 35.1 degrees Celsius on Friday, four degrees above normal.

Even the nights have been warmer, with minimum temperature staying above 20 degrees Celsius. Though the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not officially declared it, weather experts believe these to be signs of the onset of summer.

Rising trend

On Thursday, maximum temperature was 35.7 degrees Celsius, a sharp rise from Wednesday’s 34.5 degrees. The trend continued with Friday’s 35.1 degrees. The minimum temperature on Friday, too, was 21.6 degrees Celsius, also four degrees above normal.

The IMD has forecast more or less similar temperature for the rest of the week. The all-time highest maximum temperature for the month is 39.6 degrees Celsius, recorded on February 25, 1966.

Marginal dip

While weather experts have forecast a slight, but not significant, drop in temperature later this month.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president of meteorology at private forecaster Skymet Weather, said, “This was an unusually short winter and temperatures will only rise now. The next 48 hours may see a drop of 1 or 2 degrees, following which there will be a gradual rise. The northerly-northeasterly winds were limited up to Rajasthan this year, owing to which Konkan and Mumbai did not see much cold. And now, the western disturbance has weakened. You can call this the onset of summer as daytime temperature will now be in mid 30s and nights will be pleasant. Temperatures will only rise now.”