Mumbai weather updates: City sizzling now, but will get cooler from Sunday

A group of friends spend a sunny afternoon together at Mahim beach on Thursday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Mumbai and adjoining areas are likely to see warmer days ahead, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting elevated temperatures over the next two to three days. A dip in temperatures is expected after this period as the influence of Cyclone Fengal, which has increased heat and humidity in the region, diminishes.

The IMD has attributed the temperature fluctuations to a low-pressure area caused by Cyclone Fengal and strong easterly winds. Now that it has moved to the central Arabian Sea, its impact on South Maharashtra and the coastal belt, including Mumbai, is expected to wane, offering relief soon.

On Wednesday, citizens struggled with stifling heat and humidity as the IMD's Santacruz observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 37.3 degrees C, nearly 4 degrees C above normal. IMD data confirmed it was the city's hottest December day in at least 16 years. The previous record was in 2008 when the mercury hit 37.7 degrees C on December 5.

Even the nighttime brought little relief, with the minimum temperature soaring to 25.5 degrees C on Wednesday, making it Mumbai's hottest December night since 2022.

While the temperature dipped slightly to 35.4 degrees C on Thursday, the persistent humidity continued to leave Mumbaikars feeling uncomfortable. Experts expect conditions to improve as the cyclone's effects diminish in the coming days.

According to Sunil Kamble, director of IMD Mumbai, the recent rise in temperatures was caused by strong easterly winds, which delayed the onset of the sea breeze. Kamble explained, "The strength of the easterlies was unusually strong, causing the sea breeze to set in much later than usual."

He noted that Cyclone Fengal, which crossed the coast and moved into the Arabian Sea before reaching its centre, contributed to this phenomenon. "The circulation caused by the cyclone led to an increase in temperatures near the coast, and this effect is expected to continue for the next two to three days," Kamble added.

Regarding the unseasonal light showers in parts of the city on Wednesday, Kamble attributed it to the after-effects of Cyclone Fengal. "The cyclone has resulted in a low-pressure formation in the Arabian Sea, leading to moisture incursion and light rain in some areas," he said.

Explaining the current weather conditions, Rajesh Kapadia of Vagaries of the Weather, a private blog, said, "Due to Cyclone Fengal, we had anticipated the warming of Mumbai's nights. The mildly pleasant nights experienced last week have now turned warm and stuffy as the cyclone pushed in clouds along the West Coast this week. Mumbai will need to wait until Saturday for some relief when both day and night temperatures are expected to drop, bringing cooler weather. A significant fall of at least 5 degrees C in night temperatures is expected from Sunday."

For Friday, the IMD has predicted a minimum temperature of 27.02 degrees C and a maximum temperature of 29.03 degrees C. Humidity levels are expected to hover around 69 per cent, adding to the discomfort.

37.3°C
Maximum temperature recorded on Wednesday