After enduring a week of below-20-degree Celsius temperatures, Mumbai has experienced an abrupt rise of 3-4 degrees since Monday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). On Tuesday, IMD’s Santa Cruz station recorded a minimum temperature of 23.7 degrees, surpassing the normal by six degrees.
The Colaba observatory reported 19.4 degrees, matching the season’s lowest on December 12. IMD Mumbai Director Sunil Kamble attributes this anomaly to a distant cyclonic circulation in the Arabian Sea. Predictions indicate a temperature drop after December 25 due to western disturbances and northerlies.
Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather Services explains the current spike as a result of an anti-clockwise wind movement from a trough over North Konkan. Last year, Mumbai experienced unusually high temperatures even in late December, reaching 35 degrees Celsius.