The coastal city, of Mumbai, clocked yet another extremely hot day, yesterday. Santacruz observatory recorded a maximum of 39.1°C, a notch higher than the previous day and more than 5°C above the normal. The neighbouring districts of Thane and Raigad also registered a spike in the day temperatures. The city is expected to have another hot day today. A deadly combination of high humidity and searing heat is taking its toll, increasing the discomfort. Similar conditions may prevail for the next few days.
Yesterday was the second hottest day of April in the last decade or so. Earlier, on 16th April, the city had registered a maximum of 39.7°C, the highest in the last decade. These extreme temperatures have surpassed the earlier record of 39°C, set way back in April 2014. The highest-ever temperature of 42.2°C on 13 April 1952, still remains invincible. The city has crossed the threshold of 37°C on 6 days during this month.
The coastal cities have heat wave conditions in place, crossing 37°C and departure of about 4.5°C from the normal. Day temperatures nearing 40°C on the seashore amount to severe heatwave conditions. The financial capital, Mumbai is witnessing similar scorching conditions. The big relief may not come soon and withering conditions may continue till mid week.
Mumbai experiences the land breeze in the morning and forenoon hours, around this time of the year. These northerly winds keep raising the temperature till the onset of the sea breeze. The anticyclone over the Arabian Sea, off the Konkan & Goa coast is fueling hot northerly/northwesterly winds for longer durations.
The rise in the temperature is arrested when the sea breeze arrives from a west-northwest, west or southwest direction. These moist winds from the open sea arrest any further rise and occasionally may even drop the mercury, marginally. Today, the mercury may rise to about 38°C and marginally fall tomorrow and the day after.
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