Officials in the Met department categorically assert that despite the fluctuating temperature, winter is not over.
The extreme rise and fall in temperature within days has baffled one and all. Officials in the meteorological (Met) department, however, categorically assert that despite the fluctuating temperature, winter is not over. In fact, the temperature is expected to dip further over the next two days before returning to normal.
Warmer days and nights are expected after that.
Mumbaikars were unsure whether it was time to put back their sweaters in the cupboard after the city experienced a temperature of 35.2° Celsius last week. Within days, however, the mercury dropped and it was impossible not to feel the chill in the air.
The Met department says 31° Celsius and 19° Celsius are the normal maximum and minimum temperatures for Mumbai in February.
The temperature at the Santa Cruz weather station, considered representational for Mumbai, was below-normal between January 28 and 30. In fact, it was at a decade-low of 10.4° Celsius on January 29. On February 3, however, the temperature shot up to 35.2°Celsius. “Winter is over. We’ll have to bear with the scorching heat now,” was the feeling among Mumbaikars.
But the mercury returned to normal and dipped two to three degrees below normal on Monday and Tuesday. Officials said such fluctuation is common during winter and attributed it to the fickleness in the change in the direction of the wind.
“The mercury touched 35° Celsius due to easterly winds flowing into the city. The wind, flowing from the land side, does not carry much moisture. It is hot and dry and hence, the temperature shot up. A dip in relative humidity also causes the temperature to rise,” said VK Rajeev, director, Met department (Mumbai).
“The relative dip in maximum and minimum temperatures is a result of western disturbances (flowing from Central Asia, Iraq and other countries). The disturbances caused a storm in northern India from where the cold wave has hit the city again,” Rajeev said. It is time to keep the sweater on, at least for some more time.
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