Mumbai Info

Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay is the capital of the state of Maharashtra. Along with its neighbouring suburbs, it forms the world’s 7th most populous metropolitan area, with a population exceeding 20 million.

It is the commercial and entertainment capital of India, and houses important financial institutions and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. The city is home to India’s film and television industry, known as Bollywood.

Mumbai is also one of the rare cities to accommodate a national park, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits.

Fast Facts
Full Name: Mumbai
Area: 4,200 sq km / 1,622 sq miles
Population: 16,400,000
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +5.5
Electricity: 230-240V 50Hz

Name
The appellation Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba – the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and Aai – mother in Marathi. In the 16th century, the Portuguese named the area Bom Bahia (Good Bay), later corrupted to Bomaím or Bombaim, by which it is still known in Portuguese.

After the British gained possession, it was anglicised to Bombay. The name was officially changed to Mumbai in 1995, but Bombay is still used by the popular media and by many of the city’s inhabitants.

Climate
The climate of the city, being in the tropical zone, and near the Arabian Sea, may be broadly classified into two main seasons – the humid season and the dry season. The humid season, between March and October, is characterised by high humidity and temperatures of over 30°C (86°F).

The monsoon rains lash the city during the monsoon season (June to September), and supply most of the city’s annual rainfall of 2,200mm (85in). The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452mm (135.89 in) in 1954. The highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944mm (37.16in) on 2005-07-26.

The dry season, between November and February, is characterized by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill during January and February. Annual temperatures range from a high of 38°C (100°F) to a low of 11°C (52°F). The record high is 43 °C (108 °F) and record low is 7.4 °C (45 °F) on 1962-01-22.