City's coldest day

The first day of the New Year brought chilly winds with the temperature dropping to 12.8 degrees making it the season's coldest day

The city recorded a minimum temperature of 12.8 degrees in Santacruz and 17 degrees in Colaba. Officials predict that the chill will last for the next 24 hours and the temperature might rise a degree higher. The maximum temperature recorded is 28 degrees.

"The sudden dip in temperature is a result of strong Northerly winds bringing the chill from the currently frozen Himalayas," said R.V Sharma, deputy director general (western region), Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Furthermore, Northerly winds have triggered a cyclonic circulation that adds to the chill. "This Cyclonic Circulation (CYCIR) over Rajasthan is an induced Western disturbance that is also affecting the weather in Mumbai," said an official from the IMD.

The air will retain similar chill with clear sky, according to forecasts by the weather department in the next couple of days. For the next 48 hours, it is predicted that minimum temperature may rise up to 15 degrees, officials said.

January's minimum temperature in past few years