Knocksense Shorts | Mumbai's sweltering October heat to continue till mid-November

Mumbai residents are feeling the heat this October, with temperatures soaring to uncomfortable levels. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a scorching 36.4°C at its Santacruz observatory, while the Colaba observatory registered 35.4°C on Sunday. With relative humidity levels at 67% in Santacruz and 83% in Colaba, the city's notorious 'post-monsoon October heat' has left Mumbaikars sweating.

Climatologist Rajesh Kapadia of the private weather blog Vagaries of the Weather explained that Mumbai is currently experiencing the impact of the monsoon's withdrawal. As the South-Westerly monsoon winds shift direction and become hot inland East Winds, the usual cooling sea breeze is restricted, causing temperatures to rise. On October 22, the city reached its highest daytime temperature this year, hitting 37.4°C.

However, there's good news on the horizon for Mumbaikars. Kapadia predicts relief from the October heat after November 10th. Currently, the day-night temperature range in Mumbai is 36-22°C, but it's expected to dip to around 21-23°C in the coming nights.

In addition to the heat, Mumbai's air quality remains a concern, though there's a slight improvement compared to the previous week. The overall air quality index (AQI) on Sunday was 154, with only Navy Nagar Colaba (IITM station) and BKC (MPCB station) recording air quality in the poor category.