At 38.1 degree C, Sunday was Mumbai’s hottest day of 2023 yet

People sit by the sea for cool breeze, as mercury rises in the city, at Marine Drive, on Sunday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Mumbai on Sunday, March 5, was the hottest this year so far, according to the met department. The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Santacruz weather observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 38.1 degrees Celsius.

According to Rajesh Kapadia of Vagaries of Weather, a popular private weather blog, "The rising mercury level can be attributed to dry and warm winds approaching from the east, and delayed sea breeze. The temperature is rising because of the presence of east winds, which blocks the sea breeze that cools down Mumbai and the adjoining areas. "

"However, there is no need to panic, as the month of March tends to be hotter. The all-time highest temperature in March was 41.7 degree Celsius, recorded at Santacruz observatory in 1956," Kapadia added.

The Santacruz observatory has recorded temperatures past 40 degree Celsius in March six times in 10 years, according to the data with the IMD and Vagaries of Weather.

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In 2022, the hottest day in March was the 14th, at 39.6 degree Celsius.

Colaba station also maintained its streak by recording 36.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, still much lower than its March month record of 40.4 degree Celsius in 1981. On Sunday, Mumbai was the seventh hottest city in India. Karwar in Karnataka was the hottest in India at 40.2 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, both the IMD and Vagaries of Weather have predicted that cloudy and stuffy weather will continue for the next few days with a light drizzle adding to the discomfort in Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra.