It's official: Summer is upon us

With the beginning of March, Mumbaikars have started to feel the heat. The maximum temperature recorded on Tuesday was 32 degree Celsius and according to the weathermen, the temperature will only spike in the next couple of days.

The Regional Meteorological Centre officials have confirmed that summer has begun and temperature would see a gradual rise. The maximum temperature recorded on Tuesday in Santa Cruz was 32 degree Celsius while the relative humidity was 77 per cent. The maximum temperature recorded in Colaba was 30.8 degree Celsius and the relative humidity was 90 per cent. Meanwhile, as per the forecast, the temperature could rise up to 34 degree Celcius in the next couple of days.

"Summer in Mumbai begins between March and May. March is generally a transitional month and temperatures are known to fluctuate," said IMD director Bishwambhar Singh. He added that being a coastal city, temperatures in Mumbai usually remain moderate during summer due to continuous flow of moist breeze from the sea, which is also the reason for the rising humidity.

IMD officials said that March 28, 1956, has been the hottest day recorded so far, with a maximum temperature of 41.7 degree Celcius. In March 2011, maximum temperature soared to 41.6 degree celcius while in March 2015, it touched 40.8 degree Celcius.

An IMD official said though temperatures keep fluctuating in March, there certainly are days when one feels extremely uncomfortable due to high humidity level caused by the north-westerly winds. "Apart from that, maximum temperatures remain around the range of 25 to 28 degree Celcius in February. Then suddenly they hit above 32 degree celcius right from the start of March and even the humidity levels goe high. It immediately affects people," said the official.

Experts and environmentalists also claimed that Mumbai was paying dearly for the loss of green cover, as over a period of years, trees have been chopped all across the city. Also, the increasing use of air conditioners and growing concretisation has increased the urban heat effect.

Malad resident Nilesh Dhamne said it was obvious that summer has begun. "Mornings have become warmer and humidity has risen. One can find people on roads sweating. The worry is this sudden change in temperature is causing health concerns. A lot of relatives and friends I know have been complaining of fever and cold," he said.

Rains in Maharashtra
Several areas across Vidharbha and Madhya Maharashtra have been receiving rainfall for the last one week. According to the IMD officials, the reason is a trough in the easterly, which has resulted in formation of clouds over the state as well as around south Konkan regions of Madhya Pradesh. Farmers have been severely impacted by these rains in many parts of Maharashtra.