The coastal city and the financial capital of the country witnessed soaring temperatures yesterday. It was a usually hot day with the mercury touching 37.3°C, well above normal by 4°C. Yesterday was the hottest d ay of December for Mumbai, in the last 16 years. The maximum temperature does reach 36°C on some occasions during this month. Last year, the highest in December was 35.9°C and the year before, it was 35°C in Dec 2022. The highest ever temperature in Mumbai in the month of December was 39.8°C, recorded on 04 Dec 1987. The mercury has breached the 36°C mark, four times in the past 14 years, in the month of December. Mostly, the extremes of December are logged in the first half of the month, before the winter tightens its grip. The other day, the city had recorded its minimum temperature of 16.5°C on 29 Nov 2024, the lowest for the month in the last 8 years. The spread of climatic extreme is becoming large for the coastal city.
The main reason for this abrupt rise of temperature is attributable to cyclone Fengal. Remnant of this storm still persists over the eastern and central parts of the Arabian Sea. It still controls the wind pattern over the coastal regions of Konkan and Goa. Under the influence of the system, the winds in the lower levels remain easterlies for prolonged duration, thereby, delaying the onset of sea breeze. The sea breeze is the largest mitigating factor of heat for the capital city Mumbai.
The remnant of the storm as a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea has weakened now. However, the cyclonic circulation continues to be marked and manifested as the presence of significant cloud clusters over the central and eastern parts of the ocean. Still, the system apparently has moved rather far from the coast. Similar temperatures like yesterday are unlikely. The sea breeze is likely to set in as per usual timings. Therefore, the day temperature may not exceed 35°C today.
