Mumbai Heat: Colaba Records Hottest October Day in 13 Years

Mumbai experienced an unusually hot start to October, with Colaba recording a maximum temperature of 37.4°C on Friday, the highest October temperature at the south Mumbai weather station since at least 2013, according to the India Meteorological Department. The temperature was 5.6°C above normal, while high humidity added to the discomfort across the city.

The heat was also evident in early morning readings, with Colaba recording a minimum temperature of 27.5°C at 5.30am, which was 2.2°C above normal. South Mumbai was warmer than the suburbs, while the Santacruz observatory, the city's baseline weather station, recorded a maximum of 36.9°C, or 4.6°C above normal.

The sharp rise came unusually early in October. A comparable early-month increase was recorded on October 8, 2024, when Santacruz registered a maximum temperature of 36.5°C. On Friday, however, overnight temperatures in the suburbs remained closer to normal, with Santacruz recording a minimum of 25.7°C.

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Sushma Nair, senior scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD in Mumbai, attributed the heat to changing weather conditions associated with the withdrawal of the monsoon. She said the monsoon was expected to withdraw from Mumbai within a day or two, marking a transition in wind patterns from westerlies to easterlies.

According to Nair, the changing winds can block and delay the onset of the sea breeze over the city, contributing to higher daytime temperatures. An anti-cyclone near Mumbai also contributed to the rise in temperatures, she said. The combination of the delayed sea breeze, changing wind patterns and high humidity made conditions particularly uncomfortable.

The 37.4°C recorded at Colaba remains below the weather station's all-time October record of 39.5°C, which was recorded on October 22, 1968. The IMD said daytime temperatures in Mumbai are expected to remain between 35°C and 37°C for the next two to three days as the monsoon withdrawal and associated transition in weather patterns continue.

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