Mumbai records warmest April day in over a decade
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Mumbai experienced its hottest April day in 14 years on Tuesday, with the Santacruz-based observatory recording a maximum temperature of 39.7 degrees Celsius, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
This is the highest temperature the city has seen in April since 2009.
Sushma Nair, a scientist at IMD Mumbai, said, "Our Santacruz-based observatory yesterday (Tuesday) recorded 39.7 degrees Celsius temperature, which was the highest temperature in the last 14 years (in April)." She added that the city had previously reached a maximum temperature of 40.6 degrees Celsius on April 2, 2009.
In contrast, the Colaba observatory, which represents south Mumbai, recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius on the same day. The two observatories had reported maximum temperatures of 37.9 degrees Celsius for Colaba and 34.7 degrees Celsius for Santacruz just a day earlier.
The IMD had issued heatwave warnings for Mumbai, as well as the neighbouring Thane and Raigad districts, for Monday and Tuesday. While some areas in Thane and Raigad experienced temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, Mumbai's temperatures remained below that threshold. However, Wednesday brought some relief to Mumbaikars as temperatures dropped unexpectedly.
"We were expecting a 2-3 degrees Celsius fall in the temperature, but actually it dropped by 4-5 degrees Celsius," Nair said.
Despite the drop in temperatures, residents faced increased humidity levels, leading to discomfort. The Colaba and Santacruz observatories reported relative humidity levels of 78% and 71%, respectively.