Cool Mumbai

This year's winter has set a record of sorts, with temperatures in Mumbai dropping like never before. Mumbai does not enjoy extreme or harsh weather because it's on the coastline and has a equable climate. But this year's winter was (is?) at an all time high!

For the first time in ages, I've seen people happily shopping for and adorning woollen garments, shawls, mufflers, scarves to combat the chilly weather of the last two weeks. Mumbai has never seen such weather. Mumbaikars used to have a sweater, which they used to use hardly 2-3 days in winter or when they were down with fever! But this year forced people to shop for colourful and designer woollen wear, which generally people used to buy only while going for a trip to a hill station or on a holiday abroad! Even Mumbai men who consider wearing warm clothes or woollen garments 'uncool' were seen in warm attire!

It was really cold with breeze, making the weather really chilly. But due to the unexpected drop in weather in a polluted city, many people fell sick with heavy cold and fever!

People in trains, who generally fight for standing near the door to enjoy the breeze, were trying to close the doors. Those fans which rotated non stop in trains, were being switched off on request! Our office centralised ACs were either off or partly on, but we never knew the difference. And the best part was it was cold in the work area and chilly as we stepped out in the corrider or on the roads (whereas it always the other way round)!

On Friday 8th Feb, the Day temperature was lower than Delhi's temperature of that day. While Mumbai dipped to 8.5 degree celcius, Delhi was at 9 degree celcius!!! Just imagine the plight of Mumbaikars, for whom even 15- 16 degrees celcius every year was COLD !

I enjoy winter and loved it though I was down with fever initially. The temperature has now like a 'normal Mumbai winter' since last two days stabilising at 12-13 degree celcius (still little below normal for Mumbaikars) and the Chill is gone as the breeze has subsided, but these 15-20 days of chilly weather was a welcome change! It's still cold (though not like last two weeks). Let's see what tomorrow holds!