IMD forecasts humid, uncomfortable week for Mumbai and neighbours

Speaking to The Indian Express, Sunil Kamble, director of IMD Mumbai said that a yellow alert has been sounded for the city as well as its neighbouring districts of Thane and Raigad until Thursday, owing to the influx of moisture-laden westerlies.

“The citizens will be experiencing hot, humid conditions and uncomfortable weather conditions, even though the temperature will remain in the range of 34 – 35 degree Celsius, owing to the high levels of humidity. We are witnessing such discomfort because of the blowing westerlies which bring in a lot of moisture. The presence of this moisture thereby leads to an increase in the humidity levels,” explained Kamble.

Responding to questions, scientists maintained that the city is unlikely to witness a heatwave-like spike this week. For the record, a heatwave is sounded in coastal cities like Mumbai when the temperatures surpass 37 degrees for two consecutive days.

Sushma Nair from IMD Mumbai said, “What the city is experiencing, in terms of the high levels of humidity, is a typical summer phenomenon. Currently, there is no development on the system which indicates that there will be a heatwave.”

Last week, the city was reeling under a spell of a record shattering heatwave, with the IMD’s Santacruz observatory registering maximum temperatures of nearly 40 degrees celsius. At 39.7 degrees on Tuesday, Mumbai had recorded its hottest April day in over a decade.

Even as Mumbai continues to swelter, several parts of the state are experiencing thunderstorm and lightning activity for the past weeks. For pockets of Vidarbha and Marathwada, the weather bureau has issued a yellow alert, sounding the likelihood of thunderstorms coupled with lightning and strong winds.