Mumbai: Mumbai recorded the highest-ever December rainfall on Tuesday, in just 12 hours with Cyclone Ockhi affecting the weather conditions of the coastal city.
Between 0830 hrs and 2030 hrs, 36 mm rainfall was recorded at the IMD's Santacruz observatory, beating the previous record of 31.4 mm, recorded on December 1967.
In the last decade, the city has rarely received any rainfall in the month of December.
Last time, Mumbai recorded 1.5 mm rainfall in the winter month on December 13, 2014.
As Ockhi came close to the city on Tuesday, it brought in a day full of rains and gusty winds, leading to a steep drop in temperatures.
As a result, at several places, noon-time unusually was much cooler than dawn. Also, there was barely a two-degree difference between maximum and minimum temperatures at most places.
Ockhi's threat had prompted the government to keep schools shut, which lead to an easing of school-time traffic. For adults, it was business as usual, barring minor absenteeism, though organisations had issued advisories to employees. While rainfall was moderate, rumour mongers were busy creating panic with fake news on the sea link and various roads, prompting the BMC to tweet: "Please don't create panic." In fact, no transport disruption was reported from anywhere in the city. The trains ran, as did the buses and cars.
Unlike the past few days, as the day progressed, it started getting progressively cooler. The maximum temperatures recorded on Tuesday by the IMD Colaba and Santacruz observatories were 23.2 degree Celsius and 23.3 degree Celsius.
In both cases, the maximum temperatures were almost 10 degrees below normal, and also 10 degrees below what was recorded on Monday 32.8 degree Celsius and 33.6 degree Celsius recorded at Colaba and Santacruz.
IMD records show that Tuesday's maximum temperatures were the lowest ever recorded in the last 10 years. The rain not only led maximum temperatures to fall, but also narrowed down the usually considerable gap between night and day temperatures to two degrees.
