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For Bombay and its nearby regions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert for February 25 & February 26.
On February 25, the weather station in Santacruz recorded 38.7 degrees Celsius, which was 5.9 degrees Celsius above the regular range & the highest maximum temperature recorded since February 19, 2017, when it was 38.8 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature on Monday was 38.4 degrees Celsius.
The IMD has also forecasted a rapid increase in the minimum temperatures across northwest India.
Why is Mumbai experiencing a heatwave?
According to Sushma Nair, scientist, IMD, Mumbai, Mumbai has consistently recorded higher temperatures towards the end of the month of February.
She also attributed the unexpected rise in temperature to the presence of strong easterly winds, which she said were obstructing the cool sea breeze. “We have always seen higher temperatures towards the end of February, so a heat wave was not unprecedented,” Nair stated. “For any coastal city, the sea breeze regulates the temperature, which currently has a delayed onset and reaches by 10am to 11am when the temperature is already hot,” the scientist added further.
The IMD anticipates a little temperature decrease on Thursday, even though it is unlikely to bring much relief.
M Mohapatra, director general of IMD, has stated that parts of the west coast begin heating up first as summer temperatures set in over the country.
“Heat propagates south to north. Heating is maximum over the west coast region at the end of February. In March, Gujarat, Odisha etc also start recording heat waves. There is propagation of heat from this region,” Mohapatra elaborated. The IMD declares a heatwave when the highest temperature is over 40°C in the plains, & also the temperature is 4.5°C or more above normal.
The IMD mainly considers December to February to be the winter months. Since 18th of January, rising temperatures across India are blurring seasonal distinctions.
Overview of IMD’s century-long temperature analysis shows the October-December post-monsoon season is warming at a rate of 1.01 degrees Celsius per century, followed by the January-February winter months at 0.73 degrees Celsius. Pre-monsoon months (March-May) and monsoon months (June-September) are warming at approx slower rates of 0.62 degrees Celsius and 0.45 degrees Celsius respectively.