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Heralding the onset of winter, minimum temperatures dipped below 20 degrees Celsius for the first time this season as Mumbai woke up to a nip in the air on Sunday morning. The mercury levels touched 19.6 degrees Celsius, marking a drop of over two degrees below normal.
Data furnished by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that on Sunday morning, the suburban observatory in Santacruz registered a minimum temperature of 19.6 degrees Celsius, which is 2.3 degrees below normal. This marked a dip of two degrees from Friday morning, when the station logged 21.2 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the Colaba coastal observatory registered minimum temperatures of 22.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday morning, marking a drop of 1.7 degrees below the normal.
While the daytime temperatures dipped below 20 degrees Celsius for the first time this season, records showed that the maximum temperature touched 32.9 degrees Celsius in the island city division on Saturday. Earlier this month, as unseasonal showers swept the city, daytime temperatures dropped to 27 degrees Celsius, making it Mumbai’s coldest November day in at least one decade.
The dip has been spurred by the influx of northerly winds in the region, amid snowfall in the hills of northern states.
Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather Services told The Indian Express, “Several hills in north India have been experiencing snowfall. This has led to the arrival of northerly and north-easterly winds in the region. Being cold and dry, these winds have led to a drop in temperature across north central India, as well as Maharashtra, including Mumbai. In the coming two to three days, the temperature may further fall marginally.”
“Until another system develops and breaks the flow of northerly winds, the weather may continue to remain pleasant in the coming days,” added Palawat.
According to the weather bureau, the minimum temperatures in Mumbai as well as its neighbouring districts are likely to hover between 18 and 19 degrees Celsius, while daytime temperatures may remain in the range of 34-35 degrees.
However, the drop in temperatures has also ushered in a rise in air pollution levels. After recording satisfactory air in the previous week owing to unseasonal showers, the air quality index (AQI) in Mumbai has burgeoned over the past couple of days, touching 104 on Sunday morning, which is categorised as moderate.
As per data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the worst AQI on Sunday was recorded in Sewri—250, which is categorised as poor, while ozone was categorised among the most prominent pollutants during the period.
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