 |
| While the heatwave warning was expected to remain in place until Tuesday, the IMD has now upgraded the same to a severe alert. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee) |
The IMD has extended the heatwave warning until Wednesday for Mumbai and its neighbouring districts of Thane and Raigad.
Mumbai sizzled at a maximum temperature of 39.7 degree Celsius on Tuesday, making it the city’s hottest day in April the past decade. As scalding heat gripped citizens, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared an orange ‘severe heatwave’ alert for the city on Tuesday, alongside extending the heatwave warning into Wednesday. At 27.8 degrees, the city also recorded its hottest night of the year so far on Monday night.
Shattering a decade old record, the IMD’s Santacruz observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 39.7 degree Celsius, which indicated an anomalous rise of nearly 6.5 degrees above the normal. Before this, the city had recorded its hottest day of April in 2014, when the maximum temperatures spiked to 39 degree Celsius.
For Mumbaikars, the nightfall brought no relief either, as the city, on Monday night, recorded its hottest night of the year so far with the minimum temperatures hovering at 27.5 degrees in the city’s suburbs, while the coastal observatory in Colaba registered a minimum of 27.8 degrees.
 |
| According to meteorologists, the city is experiencing hot day and night temperatures due to a cyclonic circulation over Central Maharashtra, resulting in the influx of easterly winds. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee) |
The heatwave warning was expected to remain in place until Tuesday, the IMD upgraded the same to a severe alert, alongside extending a yellow heatwave alert until Wednesday for Mumbai and its neighbouring districts of Thane and Raigad.
Sunil Kamble, director of IMD Mumbai, told The Indian Express, “We are declaring a severe heatwave as temperatures have risen up to 39 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, we have now extended our heatwave warning until Wednesday. While the severe heatwave will remain in place today, from tomorrow, there will be a drop of 1-2 degrees; thus, it will be a normal heatwave.”
According to meteorologists, the city is experiencing hot day and night temperatures due to a cyclonic circulation over Central Maharashtra, resulting in the influx of easterly winds. Attributing the spike to these easterlies, experts have said that the temperature is expected to oscillate between 38 and 39 degrees Celsius until Wednesday at least.
The sudden spike of temperatures this week is a harbinger of what lies in store for the city, with IMD scientists indicating that more heatwaves are likely to sweep the entire state this summer.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Kamble said, “From April to the onset of monsoon in June, we are expecting temperatures to be 1-2 degrees above the normal level of 36 degrees Celsius. Heatwave days are also likely to increase this summer season. Instead of the usual 3-4 days of heatwave in a month, we are expecting a few more days.”
Even as a heatwave engulfs the city and its neighbouring districts, in Thane and Palghar, the weather bureau has sounded the possibility of light rain coupled with thunderstorm activity. Senior IMD scientists said that the warning was issued in view of the forecast of cloud formation.
0 Comments