Mumbai experienced a noticeable early-morning chill this week after the minimum temperature at Santacruz fell to 18.9°C, which was 2.7°C below the average minimum for the location. Colaba recorded a minimum temperature of 23.8°C, according to a report by Loksatta citing weather observations.
The dip marks a change from the prolonged warmth recorded across the city, when rising minimum temperatures had made nights uncomfortable for residents. Mumbai had continued to experience daytime heat even as November progressed, but the fall in night-time temperatures has brought cooler conditions during the late-night and early-morning hours.
The change has been recorded across the Konkan region, where maximum temperatures are still above average. Residents have therefore been experiencing a contrast between hot afternoons and cooler mornings. The shift follows a period of persistent heat in October and the early part of November, when minimum temperatures in Mumbai had remained elevated.
The weather department has forecast that similar conditions are likely to continue in Mumbai and most parts of Maharashtra over the next few days. The cooler mornings are linked to weather developments over northern and central India, according to the report.
Parts of the Himalayan region are currently receiving snowfall, along with light to moderate rain in some areas. At the same time, an anticyclonic circulation has formed over central India and parts of Gujarat. The resulting clear skies, combined with the influence of cold and dry winds moving from the north, are contributing to the fall in temperatures during the night and early morning.
Clear skies allow greater heat loss from the surface after sunset, while the northward flow of dry air brings cooler air into the region. These conditions are particularly noticeable before sunrise, when temperatures are at their lowest. The effect is less pronounced during the day because Mumbai continues to record above-average maximum temperatures.
The current pattern means that residents may continue to face warm afternoons while experiencing a cooler start to the day. The difference between daytime and early-morning conditions is likely to remain a defining feature of Mumbai’s weather over the next few days, subject to changes in wind direction, cloud cover and regional weather systems.
The weather department’s forecast indicates that the cooler conditions will persist across Mumbai and much of the state in the coming days, while daytime heat remains present in the Konkan region.
