At 40.8°C, Mumbai feels the discomfort on second hottest March day in a decade

MUMBAI: The city recorded the second hottest day in a decade, with maximum temperatures in Santa Cruz touching 40.8 degrees celsius on Wednesday. The highest maximum temperature recorded in a decade has been 41.3 degrees celsius, which was recorded in 2011.
The maximum temperature in Santa Cruz was 8 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature recorded in Colaba was 36.3 degrees Celsius, which was 5 degrees above normal.The minimum temperatures recorded in Colaba meanwhile were 25.4 degrees celsius, while in Santa Cruz, it was 22 degrees celsius.
The humidity level recorded in Colaba was 64%, while in Santa Cruz it was 42%.
The weatherman said that days when the maximum temperature is 8 degrees celsius above normal are classified as hot days. “March is a transitional month and this is a typical weather for the month. The wind patterns change frequently till they get established. The reason for the increase in maximum temperatures on Wednesday was the north-easterly to easterly dry and hot air that was being witnessed. The easterly component acted predominantly in these winds. These are sudden and steep rises and do not remain for long,” said K S Hosalikar, deputy director-general of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai.
Mumbaikars, however, said the discomfort level on account of the extreme heat on Wednesday was high and it was clear that the maximum temperatures had shot up. In fact, the maximum temperature from Tuesday to Wednesday in Santa Cruz rose by around 7 degrees.

Deepika Sahu, a financial analyst who travels to Powai daily for work, said, “My work timings are post-afternoon and therefore I leave home around noon. On Wednesday, I could feel the discomfort, and I was sweating continuously. This being March, the temperature is so high, the fear is that in May it could go higher, adding to the discomfort for residents.”
The meteorological centre said the maximum temperature in the next 24 hours will be around 39 degrees celsius, while the minimum will be around 23 degrees celsius.