Scorching, sweltering, singeing... Mumbaikars are using these adjectives to qualify the heat in the city. Well, you may say it’s an exaggeration to use these words in March because the coming few months are going to be far more hot. But if you live in the city, you know you can’t blame them for cribbing: it’s indeed too hot to be March.
Mumbai has been experiencing intolerable heat and rising temperatures in the past few days. On Thursday, the maximum temperature in certain parts of the city was 36°C.
According to the weather bureau, Colaba recorded a maximum of 32.6°C and a minimum of 24.4°C, whereas Santa Cruz recorded a maximum of 36°C and a minimum of 23.4°C. On March 13, Santa Cruz recorded a high of 37.5°C while Colaba recorded a maximum of 36.8°C, said an officer of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Colaba.
According to Met sources, though the temperature is not much higher than what it was this time last year (35°C), people are feeling hotter because the transition in weather has been faster than usual.
Also, the difference between day and night temperatures, coupled with the high humidity levels in the city, is to be blamed for the heat, said a weather bureau official. On Thursday, Colaba experienced a humidity of 75% and Santa Cruz, 49%.
Sathi Devi, director of the centre, said: “The past three days were very cloudy, which brought down the temperature. However, Thursday witnessed clear skies and the wind was easterly. In such conditions, the temperature is bound to rise. The sea breeze determines the level of heat and rise in temperature. If the sea breeze sets in early in the day, you will get some respite from the heat.”
Mumbaikars, however, have a bigger worry. “What will it be like in May?” asked Bhandup resident Prashant Amin, who works in Nariman Point.
Similarly, Ahmad Hussain, a cab driver from Sandhurst Road, said: “My cab feels like an oven. I am just not able to drive in the afternoons.”
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