The minimum temperature in the city dropped to 17.9 degrees Celsius on Thursday morning, the lowest temperature of the season so far.
According to the seven-day forecast of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature in the next two days will be in the range of 17 to 18 degrees Celsius. Night temperatures are expected to rise to 19 degree Celsius after Christmas and remain above normal till the end of the year.
The lowest minimum temperature recorded before Thursday was 18.6 degrees Celsius on December 21 and 22. The lowest minimum temperature was recorded at 15 °C last year and 16.4 °C in the previous year. The lowest minimum temperature ever recorded was 10.6 °C on 20 December 1949.
While the Santa Cruz observatory recorded a normal minimum temperature of 17.9 degrees Celsius, the Colaba observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius, a notch below the normal. Day temperature in Mumbai also dropped by one degree in 24 hours.
IMD’s Santa Cruz observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 29.4 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal. As per the forecast, the day temperature is likely to hover around 30-31 degree Celsius. High relative humidity was recorded at 88 per cent on Thursday morning, which declined to 56 per cent by evening.
Jalgaon in Madhya Maharashtra region recorded the minimum temperature at 9 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal.
Meanwhile, Mumbai’s air quality remained in the poor category on Thursday. The Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded on Thursday was 269 (poor). Officials cautioned that the pollution level would rise again with the fall in temperature.
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