15 December,2010 06:29 AM IST | | Rinkita Gurav
You have the nippy northerlies to thank for the u00a0chilly first half of December, with Monday recording a new low of 14.6 degrees Celsius
We know you are feeling the icy tingles up your spine like you haven't in the first fortnight of December in the past few years.
With the mercury dropping consistently, bikers are having a hard time coping with the chilly weather
The mercury dropping progressively over the last couple of weeks gave you enough reason to.
As officials in the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) will have you know, this year has seen the coldest entry into a December in the last few years.
With Monday recording a low of 14.6C in Santacruz, followed by 15.1 degree Celsius on Tuesday, this is the chilliest for the first half of the month as against 2008, when December 9 recorded a low of 18C.
The nippiest itu00a0 got in 2009 was 18.4 on December 1.
Blame, or bless, the northerlies for it, say weathermen. Dr R V Sharma, deputy director, IMD, Western Region, said, "Mumbai is experiencing the chill because of the northerly winds bringing extremely cold breeze from the north.
There's nothing to worry about as such a fall in temperature has occurred in the past."
"The winds from the north come in great speed and mix with the warm air blowing over the Arabian Sea, making the atmosphere warmer," he added.
In February 2008, the temperature had fallen to 8C, say weather experts (see box). So revel while you can because the cold is not here to stay.
The IMD predicts a rise in temperature as the pool of cold northerlies fuse with the warm wind in the city, weakening the nightly chills and daytime breeze.
An IMD official said, "The temperature will rise only for a few days after which it will drop down again."
11.6C
The lowest temperature in the last 10 years on December 21, 2005
Today's forecast
Max 30C and Min 16C with a clear sky.
