With the continued 'green alert' (no rain warning) by the Indian Metrological Department (IMD), the city experienced a warmer and sunny Sunday compared to most days in July this year.
Mumbai recorded a maximum temperature of below 29 °C on most days in July, owing to the heavy rains. However, as the intensity of rainfall reduced, the city crossed the 30 °C mark on Sunday, and will continue to observe an increase in the maximum temperature (up to 32 °C) in the next 48 hours, according to the IMD.
The IMD has forecasted cloudy skies with moderate rainfall for the next two days over Mumbai and Thane regions. Regarding the temperature increase, IMD official Sushma Nair, said, “The temperature of the city observed a drop during most days this month due to the heavy clouds which minimises the amount of sunlight entering the atmosphere, resulting in the drop in temperature.”
Nair added that once the cloudiness reduces and becomes partly cloudy (no heavy clouds nor a clear sky) the sunlight enters the atmosphere and gets trapped inside due to the clouds. This results in the increase in temperature, which Mumbai is currently experiencing.
“The city has been given a 'no rainfall warning' as of now, but if the monsoonal system changes and becomes favourable, then the alert will be updated accordingly,” added the official.
On Sunday, the minimum temperature recorded in Santacruz was 25.0 °C and the maximum was 30.7 °C. Also, the relative humidity was 86 per cent. Meanwhile, Colaba experienced a minimum temperature of 25.4 °C and a maximum temperature of 29.4 °C, with a relative humidity of 86 per cent.
The city also witnessed a good air day on Sunday. According to the data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), Mumbai recorded a 'good' Air Quality Index (AQI) of 19, while other cities like Delhi, Pune, and Ahmedabad recorded an AQI of 25, 20, and 29, respectively. The lower the AQI value, the cleaner the air, while a higher AQI indicates a greater level of air pollution and health concerns.
