As the temperature in the city dropped even further, there was a pinch in the air Wednesday morning. Setting the record for the lowest temperature this season, the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Santacruz station recorded a temperature of 15.8 degrees Celsius.
While the temperature in Santacruz was 2.2 degrees below normal, the Colaba station registered a minimum temperature of 19.6 degrees Celsius, just 1.6 degrees above normal. KS Hosalikar, deputy general manager for the western region, IMD, said this was the lowest temperature on record in both seasons this season.
“This is the second day in a row that temperatures have dropped. It’s a little windier today, ”he said. The lowest minimum temperature recorded in December 2019 was 16.4 degrees Celsius. The previous year, the lowest minimum temperatures had fallen to 14.4 degrees Celsius.
Also read: Most cities in Northwest India report ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ air
Temperatures are likely to remain low for the next few days, according to IMD. Meanwhile, with the persistence of winter conditions, air quality has deteriorated further.
Unlike an air quality index (AQI), a pollutant measurement indicator, reading 183 (moderate) on Tuesday, Wednesday recorded an AQI reading of 200. The AQI was calculated by the Research and Forecast System of the Time of Air Quality (SAFAR) as the average of indices registered in 10 localities of the city and suburbs. SAFAR ranks AQI levels for PM2.5 in the range 0-50 as good; 51-100 as satisfactory; 101-200 as moderate; 201-300 as poor; 301-400 as very poor and above 400 as severe.
The AQI at Navi Mumbai was recorded at 341, which is included in the very poor category. The Bandra Kurla Complex recorded an AQI of 337. SAFAR experts said that poor air quality in the winter season is a routine phenomenon and can be attributed to the change in wind direction. “As the wind begins to flow from the land instead of the sea, pollution levels increase because the air coming from the land is more polluted,” said a spokesman.
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