Till Saturday,August had been unusually hot,with the temperature crossing 32°C more than once,32.1°C in Colaba on August 15,followed by 32.5°C in Colaba and 32°C in Santacruz on August 17.
Only twice in the last decade,both occasions in the same year,has the city crossed that mark in August. IMD records show that in 2000,Colaba was 32.8°C on August 6 and Santacruz 32°C on August 4.
The absence of rains coupled with high humidity had been pushing the temperatures up this year,IMD-Mumbai director K Sathidevi said. The spell broke with showers on Sunday and Monday bringing the temperature down to 28.8°C in Colaba and 29.7°C in Santacruz.
Conditions are now getting favourable. Over this week,we could expect some heavy spells,as the trough across the west coast is improving. Also there is a circulation that promises good showers,�� Sathidevi said.
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Scientists at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology,Pune,said though temperature in Mumbai had been increasing over the past 100 years,this years rise had more to do with poor rainfall and the absence of a cloud cover.
IITM studies show that post-monsoon temperatures (October to January) have also recorded a 1°C increase since 1900,from 27-28°C to 28-29°C. Mean monsoon temperature,too,has risen by 0.3°C.
In the northern hemisphere,July and August are typically considered summer months. But clouds and rains bring down surface temperature. This year,high moisture on the surface and absence of clouds could be the cause of the high August temperatures in Mumbai, said Dr K Krishna Kumar,Program Manager for Climate Dynamics & Climate Change,IITM.
Breaching the mark
32.8°C: Colaba,6 Aug 2000
32.5°C: Colaba,17 Aug 2009
32.1°C: Colaba,15 Aug 2009
32°C: Santacruz,17 Aug 2009
32°C: Santacruz,4 Aug 2000
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