Yellow alert for heat and humidity in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad; mercury around 36 degrees

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad for Sunday. The department has warned of hot and humid weather in some areas.

The sky over Mumbai is expected to remain mostly clear. Heat and humidity may persist in parts of the city and suburbs. According to the IMD, the maximum temperature will be around 36 degrees Celsius and the minimum around 26 degrees Celsius.

Most districts of Maharashtra are likely to stay dry through the week, though scattered rain was recorded in some parts of the state on Saturday.

According to the IMD report issued at 8.30 am on Sunday, the maximum temperature on Saturday was 34.2 degrees Celsius at both Colaba and Santacruz. Colaba's maximum was 0.5 degree above normal, while Santacruz's was within the normal range. Nights were also warm. Colaba recorded a minimum of 26.4 degrees, 1.7 degrees above normal. At Santacruz it was 24.3 degrees, 1.3 degrees above normal.

Humidity at 8.30 am on Sunday was 82 per cent at Colaba and 78 per cent at Santacruz. On Saturday evening the figures were 76 and 64 per cent respectively.

Across the state, Solapur recorded the highest maximum temperature at 36.2 degrees, 3.2 degrees above normal. Jalgaon recorded 35.8 degrees (2.2 above normal), Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) 35.2 degrees (3.4 above normal) and Jeur 35 degrees (1.3 above normal). Among the stations listed, Mahabaleshwar had the lowest maximum at 27.1 degrees, still 1.1 degrees above normal. Kolhapur's maximum was 30.5 degrees, 0.5 degree below normal. It is the only station where the mercury stayed below normal.

On rainfall, most stations recorded none. Kolhapur received 18.8 mm, the highest in the state. Nashik recorded 4.9 mm. Rainfall figures for Ahilyanagar and Jeur were not available. Humidity was also high in Kolhapur: 89 per cent at 8.30 am on Sunday and 98 per cent at 5.30 pm on Saturday, the highest evening reading in the report.

The Konkan coast continued to see warm temperatures and high morning humidity. On Saturday, the maximum temperature was 34 degrees at both Ratnagiri and Dahanu, while Harnai recorded 34.5 degrees, 2.5 degrees above normal. Harnai's minimum was 26 degrees (1.5 above normal), Ratnagiri's 24.1 degrees and Dahanu's 23.1 degrees. On Sunday morning, humidity was 83 per cent in Ratnagiri, 74 per cent in Harnai and 71 per cent in Dahanu.

At several stations in central Maharashtra, maximum temperatures were above the seasonal average. Satara recorded a maximum of 34.7 degrees (3 above normal), and its minimum of 22.1 degrees was 3.8 degrees above normal, the biggest rise in minimum temperature in the report. Nashik recorded a maximum of 34.1 and a minimum of 18.3 degrees. Sangli recorded a maximum of 33.2 degrees and a minimum of 22.9 degrees (3.1 above normal). Jalgaon's minimum of 15.5 degrees was the lowest in the state and 1.4 degrees below normal.

In Marathwada, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded a maximum of 34.1 and a minimum of 20 degrees. Dharashiv recorded 34.4 degrees by day and 20.7 at night. Parbhani's maximum was 34.3 degrees and its minimum 18 degrees, slightly below normal. Beed's minimum was 20.5 degrees and Udgir's 16.5 degrees, 0.6 degree below normal.

Morning readings showed high humidity in several districts: 89 per cent in Kolhapur, 88 in Nashik and 83 in Ratnagiri. Morning humidity was 43 per cent in Udgir and 54 per cent in Beed. On Saturday evening, humidity was lowest in Ahilyanagar at 38 per cent, followed by Satara at 41 and Solapur at 43.

With the yellow alert in force for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad, people are advised to take care in the heat and humidity, especially during the hotter hours of the day.