Sunday chilliest of the season so far, 3rd coldest Jan day in 10 years

Mumbai: Friday and Saturday may have left citizens shivering, but they were nothing compared to Sunday when the mercury dipped to a low 10.4 degrees Celsius. Sunday was not only the chilliest day of this season, but also the third coldest January day in a decade. 

    The chill is likely to stay for another day or two, said the Met department. 
    On Sunday, the minimum temperature recorded in Colaba was 16.1 degrees Celsius —3.4 degrees below normal, while that in Santa Cruz was 10.4 degrees Celsius— about 7 degrees below normal. 
    The lowest-ever January temperature in the city was in 1962 when the mercury had plunged to 7.4 degrees Celsius. 
    According to the Met department, the cold weather has prevailed in the city because of the persistent Western Disturbance in the north. "The Western Disturbance still prevails in the northern parts of the country and the winds affecting Mumbai continue to be northerly," said V K Rajeev, director of weather forecast, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai. 
    In Mumbai, the daytime temperature also plummeted on Sunday when Colaba recorded a maximum temperature of 27 degrees Celsius —3.1 degrees below normal and Santa Cruz 27.4 degrees Celsius—3.4 degrees below normal. 
    The Met department said the weather is likely to remain similar to that of Sunday for another day or two. "Since the winds continue to be northerly, we expect the temperature to remain low for the next one or two days. Once the Western Disturbance moves away, there will be a rise in the temperature, which will then be normal," said Rajeev. 
    Many other areas in the state, too, saw a dip in minimum temperatures. "Many parts of interior Maharashtra are witnessing a cold wave," said Rajeev. Nashik recorded the lowest temperature in Maharashtra at 4 degrees Celsius.