Mumbai sees max temp hit 39 °C; heatwave warnings issued for Konkan

For the third consecutive day, Mumbai recorded above normal maximum temperature on Monday. The maximum temperature touched 39.4 degrees, which was seven degrees above normal. According to the 48 hours forecast, the maximum temperature is likely to increase to 40 degrees. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has attributed the rising temperatures to the direct lower-level winds from Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat, which is reeling under a severe heatwave for the past few days, blowing over the Konkan region.

“Due to the advection of warm and dry winds from North-West India, heat waves to severe heatwave conditions are very likely over parts of Konkan-Goa, including Mumbai during next three days. Due to the prevailing clear skies and low humidity values, the temperatures are expected to rise, and similar conditions are likely to prevail for the next two to three days over the region,” stated IMD in its afternoon bulletin.

Heatwave is defined based on the temperature thresholds over a region in terms of actual temperature or its departure from normal. For coastal cities, like Mumbai, when the maximum temperature departure is 4.5 degrees or more from the normal levels and the maximum temperature is above 37 degrees in at least two stations, a heatwave alert is issued. When the departure is above 6.5 degrees, a severe heatwave alert is issued.

The two stations in a meteorological sub-division (for Mumbai) are Colaba and Santacruz weather observatories. Since Saturday, both the stations have been recording a maximum temperature above 37 degrees. This is the third time in March that Mumbai’s maximum temperature crossed the 38 degrees mark, after touching 38.9 degrees on Sunday. The maximum temperature in March last year was 40.9 degrees (on March 28). The all-time highest day temperature in March was recorded in 1956 at 41.7 degrees (on March 28).

Since 2011, the maximum temperature has crossed the 40 degrees mark at least five times, in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018 2019 and 2021.