A DAY after recording the lowest temperature since 2020 when mercury levels dipped to 17.9 degrees Celsius, the city and its suburbs continued to record temperatures below 20 degrees for a second consecutive day, as the minimum temperatures stood at 18 degree Celsius on Tuesday morning. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperatures are slated to rise gradually after two days. However, experts have already indicated a delay in spring. On Tuesday, the Santacruz station registered a minimum temperature of 18 degrees whereas the coastal observatory in Colaba recorded 20.5 degrees, indicating a drop of two degrees below the normal. The maximum temperatures also hovered below 30 degrees in the island city as well as the suburbs. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sunil Kamble, director of IMD Mumbai said the city was experiencing a drop in temperature owing to the strong westerly and northerly winds. “We are getting strong westerly and northerly winds which have resulted in this temperature drop. Apart from this, the further drop this March is due to the western disturbances. For the next two days, temperatures will remain in the range of 18 - 19 degrees Celsius. As per our analysis, the temperatures will rise gradually after this,” Kamble said. Apart from bringing respite from the high day temperatures which the city had been reeling under the previous week, citizens of the city have also been breathing easy as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 110 on Tuesday. On Monday, the city woke up to its coldest March day since 2020 as the minimum temperatures slipped to 17.9 degrees. With citizens enjoying cooler March temperatures, weather experts and meteorologists have raised alarms over a delayed spring. Senior scientists from IMD Mumbai echoed, “While it must be noted that we do not have any set date for the onset of spring, it is certainly delayed because of the drop temperature this month. Due to the climatic changes, we have noticed a change in weather systems and are witnessing a delay in the onset of winters and now, even in March, we are experiencing western disturbances.” Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather Services added, “Climate change can be one of the attributing factors why we are witnessing a shift in the weather patterns. Some states are also witnessing unseasonal rains in March which can have an adverse impact on farmers and their crops, especially wheat crops.”
