The city on Friday recorded its lowest February temperature in a decade, with the maximums in the suburbs dropping to 24.2°C; and to 24.5°C in south Mumbai. The city was much cooler than Mahabaleshwar (26.1°C), and Pune (27.2°C). Before Friday, the lowest February day temperature in the past decade was recorded in 2014, at 26.3°C. Mumbai has seen a 11.1°C drop in day temperatures from Monday’s high of 35.3°C.

Minimum temperatures also fell to its lowest this month. The suburbs recorded 14.4° C, 2° C below normal, and Colaba recording 17.6°C, a degree below normal. The weather bureau said the cool conditions are likely to continue over the weekend and till Monday.

“Cool northerly winds have been prevailing over Mumbai for the past four days,” said KS Hosalikar, the deputy director general, western region, India Meteorological Department.

“This is because of the formation of a weather system over the northwest parts of the country leading to cold-wave conditions over north and central India,” he said. Hosalikar added that northerly winds were also recorded at high speed, which further allowed temperatures to drop to record low levels. “Similar conditions are likely to continue for the next three days,” he said.

Mumbai was the fourth coldest city in Maharashtra on Friday, after Dahanu in Palghar (22.2° C), Nashik (23.2°C), and Buldhana (24°C).

The cool conditions, however, paved the way for a rise in pollution levels. The air quality index (AQI), which was in the ‘moderate’ category over the past three days, recorded 217 (poor), according to the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

Researchers said the cold wave conditions had allowed pollutant particles to get suspended close to the surface.

An AQI of 210 (poor) has been predicted for Saturday. The city can expect clear skies, with day and night temperatures at 25°C and 13°C respectively.

First Published: Feb 09, 2019 00:11 IST