City of seven islands…

WHY THE CLIMATE MUMBAI IS HOT AND HUMID

•Places that are close to sea or oceans have a humid climate as there is large amount
of water vapour in the air.
•Actually what happens, land and water don't get heated at the same rate. Land gets
heated faster so it radiates the energy , that heats the air above the land, as a result
of which air above the land gets heated faster than air above the water bodies.
•Now hot air is lighter so it moves up and the surrounding air above the seas rushes
to take its place which has lots of water vapour in it. This is the reason for humidity .

•One more reason for that is the fact that Mumbai is near the Equator, where the
light from the sun hit's most directly. The Earth is tilted, so hence the Equator is
right in front of the sun, & hence the heat from the sun is best
 HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE

In hot and humid climatic regions, high temperatures are accompanied by very high
humidity levels leading to immense discomfort.
 Cross ventilation is hence very essential here.
 Adequate shading measures are also necessary to protect the building from direct
solar radiation.

GEOGRAPHY OF MUMBAI

•The exact geographical location of Mumbai lies in the west coast of the state of
Maharashtra facing the Arabian Sea.
•It is an interesting fact that one fourth of the city of Mumbai lies below the sea level.
Mumbai is spread across a total area of 440 sq. kms.
•The highest point of Mumbai is the Malabar hills having a height of 180 feets above
the sea level
 CLIMATE OF MUMBAI

•The weather of Mumbai remains hot and humid through out the year. This is mainly
because of the cities proximity to the Arabian Sea.
•However the weather turns out top be pleasant during the months of November to
March the winter in Mumbai. During this period the Mumbai sky remain clear without
clouds and the temperature also cools down.
•The temperature starts rising from the months of March and it continues until mid
June when the Monsoon breaks out.
•The monsoon season in Mumbai follows till September and it brings a relief from the
heat and the humidity.
•That is why the best time to visit Mumbai is between the months of October and
March.
•The temperature in the summer months usually varies from 35 to 23 degree Celsius.
•On the other has winter brings a respite from the sweltering heat as the temperature
goes down from 29 to 19 degree Celsius.
The Main Design Objectives Should Be:

( a) Resisting heat gain

Measures That Are Convenient To Resist Unwanted Heat Gain Are:

(a) Decreasing surface area of the building exposed to the outside.

(b) Using materials that take a longer time to heat up or that reflect heat.
(c) Providing buffer spaces between the outside and the inside.
(d) Increasing shading of the building in general.

(b) Promoting Heat Loss:

To promote heat lost it is essential to ensure :

(a) Appliances used are well ventilated.

(b) Proper ventilation occurs throughout the day.
(c) Humidity levels are reduced as much as possible
General Recommendations For Building Design are:

Site
(a) Landform
For flat sites, design considerations for the landform is
immaterial.
In case of slopes and depressions, the building should be
located on the windward side or crest to take advantage of
cool breezes.
b) Water bodies
Water bodies are not essential as they would tend to further increase the humidity.
(c) Street width and orientation
Major streets should be oriented parallel to or within 30 of the prevailing wind
direction during summer months to encourage ventilation in warm and humid regions.
A north-south direction is ideal from the point of view of blocking solar radiation.
The width of the streets should be such that the intense solar radiation during late
morning and early afternoon is avoided during the summers .
(c) Open spaces and built form
Buildings should be spread out with large open spaces in
between for unrestricted air movement.
In cities, buildings on stilts can promote ventilation and
cause cooling at the ground level .

(2) Orientation and Plan form

As temperatures are not very high, free plans can be evolved as long as the house
is under protective shade. An unobstructed air through the interiors is important
to ensure proper ventilation.
The buildings could be long and narrow to allow cross-ventilation. For example, a
singly loaded corridor plan (i.e. one with rooms on one side only) is preferable over
a doubly loaded one.
Heat and moisture producing areas like toilets and kitchens must be ventilated and
separated from the rest of the structure

Semi open spaces such as balconies, verandahs and porches can be used
advantageously for daytime activities as well as give protection from rainfall.In
multistoreyed buildings a central courtyard can be provided with vents at higher
levels to draw away the rising hot air.
(3) Building Envelope
(a) Roof
In addition to providing shelter from rain and heat, the form of the roof should be
planned to promote air flow. Vents at the rooftop effectively induce ventilation
and draw hot air out.

(b) Walls :
The walls must also be designed to promote air flow so as to counter the
prevalent humidity. Baffle walls, both inside and outside the building can help to
divert the flow of wind inside.
They should be protected from the heavy rainfall prevalent in such areas. If
adequately sheltered, exposed brick walls and mud plastered walls work very well
by absorbing the humidity and helping the building to breathe.

(c) Fenestration
Cross-ventilation is of utmost importance in warm and humid climatic regions. All
doors and windows should preferably be kept open for maximum ventilation for
most of the year. These must be provided with venetian blinds or louvers to
shelter the rooms from the sun and rain, as well as for the control of air movement.
Openings of a comparatively smaller size can be placed on the windward side,
while the corresponding openings on the leeward side should be bigger for
facilitating a plume effect for natural ventilation.

The openings should be shaded by external overhangs. Outlets at higher levels

serve to vent hot air.
Remarks

Ceiling fans are effective in reducing the level of discomfort in this type of climate.
Desiccant cooling techniques can also be employed as they reduce the humidity
level. Careful water proofing and drainage of water are essential considerations of
building design due to heavy rainfall's case of air conditioned buildings,
dehumidification plays a significant role in the design of the plant.