MUMBAI: The city’s overall air quality index on Thursday was higher compared to Delhi according to the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research’s (SAFAR) real time monitoring. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department has forecast the possibility of light rains or thundershowers in the city on Friday and Saturday.
Mumbai recorded an overall AQI of 313, the worst this year, as compared to Delhi’s 239 on Thursday. While Delhi’s AQI was lower than usual as a result of the rain in the region, Mumbai’s air quality was in the ‘very poor’ category for the second day due to the weather conditions. “Due to colder temperature and shallow boundary layer height, pollutants are not dispersing faster and getting accumulated. AQI is predicted to remain in very poor range for Mumbai for the next two days,” said a short-range forecast by SAFAR.
Last year, the overall AQI breached the 300 mark only on December 31. An AQI between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very poor’ and could pose a health risk to everyone. Among the 10 locations monitored by SAFAR, eight – Bandra Kurla Complex, Andheri, Mazgaon, Malad, Chembur, Navi Mumbai, Colaba and Borivali recorded an AQI of over 300.
The IMD has issued for Mumbai a green alert – light rain or thundershowers very likely – until Saturday. A yellow alert – thunderstorm with lightning – has been issued for the neighbouring Thane and Raigad districts. “Under the influence of a trough in low level easterlies from Karnataka coast to Maharashtra coast in lower tropospheric levels, isolated to scattered rainfall with moderate thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places very likely over Maharashtra,” said KS Hosalikar, deputy director general, western region, IMD. Parts of Thane district also received light rain on Thursday.
On Thursday, IMD’s Santacruz and Colaba observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 20 and 21 degree Celsius and maximum temperature of 30.7 and 28 degree Celsius respectively. While the minimum temperatures were above normal, maximum temperatures were lower than normal.