Heatwave warning for Mumbai

THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heatwave conditions at isolated locations in Mumbai, Thane and Raigad on Monday.

Independent weather forecaster Abhijit Modak, who runs the Konkan weather blog, mentioned that Sunday's temperature spike was due to a dry northerly/northeasterly land breeze influenced by the seasonal high-pressure area over the north-central Arabian Sea.

However, no heatwave warning is in effect for April 30, although hot and humid conditions are expected in the same areas. Dry weather conditions are likely to persist from May 1 onwards.

Meanwhile, the IMD advised people to avoid prolonged heat exposure, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, wear light-coloured, loose, cotton clothing, cover their heads with a hat, umbrella, or wet cloth when going out during the afternoon, and schedule strenuous tasks during cooler parts of the day.

Earlier, on Sunday, the IMD Colaba and Santacruz observatories recorded minimum temperatures of 27.6 degrees and 27.2 degrees, respectively, which is 1.4 degrees and 1.9 degrees above the norm. This made it one of the warmest nights of the season.

On April 17, the Santacruz observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 28.1 degrees, 3.6 degrees above normal.

The IMD predicted that ‘severe’ heatwave conditions will continue to affect West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand for the next three days. Additionally, heatwave conditions are expected in isolated areas of Rayalaseema, Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh for the next five days.

Telangana is likely to experience heatwave conditions from April 29 to May 1, while Kerala and Konkan are expected to face them on April 29.

Relative humidity was notably high, with the IMD Colaba and Santacruz observatories recording levels of 1.4 degrees and 1.9 degrees, respectively. The IMD declares a heatwave when maximum temperatures exceed 37 degrees and the deviation is 4.5 degrees above normal.