| Font Size |
According to K Sathi Devi, director of IMD, Mumbai, “First, we had an unusually warm winter this year with temperature mostly remaining above normal. Now, as summer officially sets in, easterly and north-easterly winds are driving the temperature up by several degrees.” At 5.30 pm on Monday, the IMD recorded 33°C and 37°C maximum temperatures in Colaba and Santacruz respectively.
A relative drop in the humidity is also contributing to the hot weather, IMD officials added. Sathi Devi explained that when easterly winds — which flow from land — prevail, they push the sea breeze away from the coast. “Mumbai usually remains moderate even in summer because of the continuous flow of moist breeze from the sea. However, with the current easterly wind pattern, the air has become drier and hotter. Plus, there has been no cloud formation over the city for a while which gives way to uninterrupted solar radiation. All these cause the weather to warm up,” she said.
Summer in Mumbai lasts between March 1 and May 31. With temperatures soaring at the start of the season, there are fears among the people that it will be scorching this year.
However, Sathi Devi said, “The winter was mild this year and summer has begun with above average temperatures. As of now, we are not expecting any low pressure or weather disturbance anywhere and predict that the mercury will hover between 35-37°C over the next two days. However, we can’t forecast a long-term trend. There is a possibility that the wind patterns change or is influenced by a system.”
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|