At 11.6°, Mumbai colder than a hill station

MUMBAI: On Wednesday, Mumbai's minimum temperature plunged below that recorded at the hill station Mahableshwar the same day. While the minimum was 14 degrees Celsius at Mahableshwar, it was 11.6°C at the Santacruz weather station, which was also the second lowest minimum recorded in December in over a decade.

The Santacruz minimum was 6.3°C below normal. The minimum recorded at the Colaba weather station, 17.8°C, was 2.4°C below normal. The lowest minimum temperature recorded over the last decade was in 2011, when it was 11.4°C on December 27. The all-time lowest temperature in December was 10.6°C, recorded on December 20, 1949.

The weather bureau said the drop in temperatures was because of stronger daytime winds. The winds are almost northerly, leading to low humidity levels and also bringing in winter chill. Weather models indicate the same chill (to continue) for the next two days," said K S Hosalikar, deputy director general (western region), India Meteorological Department.




"With temperatures in Mumbai drop ping to below that in Mahableshwar, people in the city got to enjoy a hill-station feel." Humidity recorded at Santacruz was 42% and at Colaba 56%. The weather bureau has forecasted that minimum temperatures in Mumbai in the next 24 hours will be around 12°C.

Mumbaikars in generally welcomed the chilly weather, calling it timely for Christmas. Bandra resident and activist Anil Jospeh said, "Low temperatures bring in added Christmas cheer. Since we can't have snow that makes for a white Christmas, a chilly climate is sort of consolation."

Meanwhile, maximum temperatures in the city have fallen below 30°C. The maximum recorded at Colaba was 27.3°C on Wednesday, which was 4°C below normal, and 28.3°C in Santacruz, which was 3.5°C below normal.