As December draws to a close, the maximum and minimum temperatures in Mumbai remain above normal, resulting in an atypical winter that is not cold. Meteorologists predict that this “warm winter” is likely to persist at least until the first week of January. December temperatures remained unusually warm for this time of the year, with maximum temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius in several districts including Mumbai and Thane. The state experienced warm southeasterly winds and dry weather, said officials from the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai.

“The city will encounter temperatures ranging between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius  in the next few days. Mumbaikars can expect a chill in the air after New Year’s Eve, with temperatures expected to drop to nearly 16 degrees,” an IMD official said. Explaining the weather system, Rajesh Kapadia, from Vagaries of the Weather, a private weather blog, said, “Mumbai is facing a ‘warm winter’ this year, which is atypical for December. It has been a hot start to winter, with temperatures consistently above normal. Temperatures have been averaging around three  degrees above normal.”