Mumbai airport observatory recorded day maximum temperature in excess of 37°C, first time this season. Santacruz registered 37.3°C, 4°C above the normal pointing at hot summer ahead. This is the earliest recorded 37°C in the early days of March since 2013. Invariably the financial capital does breach mercury level of 37°C but mostly during 2nd half of the month. Prior to this, Mumbai crossed the threshold of 37°C bit early in the month when it registered a temperature of 38°C on 02nd March 2013.
During March, the winds normally blow from land in the morning and change over to sea during the afternoon. Mercury keeps rising till the sea breeze sets in around 1300hr-1400hr. A sudden drop of 2-3°C is witnessed with the switch over to westerly winds from the ocean. The temperature in Mumbai breaches the normal mark of 35°C on days when the sea breeze fails to set in early because of insufficient heat differential between sea and land due to meteorological reasons. Yesterday the sea breeze set in late over Mumbai in the day and today also similar conditions are expected. Mercury may surpass yesterday’s high of 37.3°C and possibly breach 38°C mark.
Mumbai observes oppressive hot and humid conditions in March with hardly any chance of rain. The monthly normal temperature of Mumbai for the month of March is 32.8°C and increase gradually towards April and May. This year Mumbai had crossed 36°C quite early in the season when it measured the temperature of 36.3°C on 02nd February itself. Later on 2 more occasions, mercury over Mumbai breached the mark of 36°C on 21st and 22 February. The month of March for Mumbai has a track record of crossing even 40°C as it happened in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2019. The probability of scoring similar temperature during March 2021 remains high.