Mumbai has been experiencing a temperature fluctuation of roughly 7 to 8 degrees Celsius between the maximum and minimum temperatures in recent days. However, on Friday, January 3, the city recorded nearly a 20-degree gap between daytime and nighttime temperatures, a range meteorologists consider highly unusual for this time of year.

Although temperature fluctuations are common during this period, Friday’s 19.7°C swing is not typical for January, said meteorologists. “This is not common or normal in January,” remarked climatologist Rajesh Kapadia from the private weather blog Vagaries of Weather. “This kind of difference has been witnessed in March. It happened because the night was still and cool, allowing temperatures to drop, while warm easterly winds during the day pushed the mercury up.”