Mumbai weather turns again; as monsoon leaves, weekend to get warmer

Mumbai experienced above-normal temperatures on Thursday, with the Santacruz observatory recording 34 degrees Celsius and the coastal Colaba observatory recording 33 degrees Celsius. As the monsoon withdrawal progresses, the city's temperature levels are expected to remain above normal during the weekend, according to officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Scientist Sushma Nair from IMD Mumbai stated that temperatures in Mumbai will hover between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius during the weekend, with no extreme heat warnings issued. The extreme heat or heat wave warnings are only issued when temperatures surpass 37 degrees Celsius. The monsoon withdrawal is taking place alongside an anti-cyclonic formation and a wind reversal, which is contributing to the elevated temperatures.

El-Niño conditions, a natural climate pattern characterized by above-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, are also playing a role in maintaining warmer temperatures in Mumbai. While Mumbai's air quality remained normal on Thursday, the haze was attributed to slow wind speed in the city. Once wind speed increases, the haze is expected to clear.