As October heat tortures Mumbai, rain may bring relief

If Mumbai's sweltering October heat feels unprecedented, that's because it is. As per India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, Mumbai's temperature crossed 37 degrees for the third straight day on Monday. To put this in perspective, the maximum temperature scaled 37 degrees on three occasions in the entire past decade going back to 2008.

On Monday, the maximum temperature recorded at the Santacruz station was 37.1 degrees. "The last three days have been very hot. Saturday and Sunday saw 37.2 and 37.8 degrees respectively. These were the third and second highest temperatures recorded in the month of October since 2008," said a senior IMD official, adding that the heat is expected to continue.

He said that the weather has been worsened by an anti-cyclone in Northwest India, because of which Mumbai is facing easterly winds that bring in hot and dry air and also result in sea breeze setting in late, thereby causing the mercury to spike.

Mahalaxmi-based weather enthusiast Rajesh Kapadia, who has been in the field for over 45 years, said Mumbaikars will continue to reel under the heat. "The only relief could be for a couple of days in the middle of this week, when skies could be cloudy and a few spells of rain are also possible due to Cyclone Luban. But apart from that, the heat spell will continue," Kapadia said.

For locals suffering from the stifling heat, relief can't come soon enough. "I normally travel on my motorcycle, but since the last three days, due to the sheer heat, I took public transport. The heat seems to be getting worse with every passing year," said Borivali resident Sanjay Patil, who travels to a marketing firm in Bandra Kurla Complex every day.