Mumbai shudders as the coldest morning of the season greets residents; Will it be a cold week? See IMD forecast

Mumbai sees coldest morning of season as air quality worsens

Mumbai: The city woke up to its coldest morning of the season on Thursday as the temperature dropped to 18.5 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees Celsius below normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said at the Santacruz weather station. The maximum temperature for the day was recorded at 33.6 degrees Celsius, which is slightly below the normal norm by 0.4 degrees Celsius. According to the IMD forecast, the city will wake up to foggy skies for the next six days.

Meanwhile, in Colaba, the minimum temperature was 23 degrees Celsius, which was also 0.5 degrees below normal, while the maximum reached 32.9 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees below normal levels.

Cool days ahead

According to Sunil Kamble, head of IMD Mumbai, cooler temperatures are expected to continue for the next three to four days. He explained: “Temperatures are falling due to western disturbances and snowfall in the north.” The relatively cool weather brings temporary relief from the usual heat in Mumbai, but the warmth is likely to return once the weather stabilizes.

Pune records lowest temperature in state

Pune also joined the cool weather trend by recording the state’s lowest minimum temperature at 12.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday, marking a significant drop for the city.

Air quality issues

While many welcomed the drop in temperature, the air quality in Mumbai on Thursday was cause for concern. The average air quality index (AQI) was 150, which falls into the “moderate” category. This level of pollution can cause discomfort for people with asthma, respiratory or heart disease, especially due to the presence of PM2.5 and ozone as major pollutants.

Notably, areas like Ghatkopar and Borivali East experienced ‘poor’ air quality with AQI levels reaching 231 and 201 respectively. These levels of pollution may cause breathing discomfort with prolonged exposure, especially for sensitive people.