Mumbai sees a dip in morning temperature

The minimum temperature at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) monitoring station in Santacruz on Thursday was recorded at 22.8 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal

With the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from the past two weeks and with winter approaching, mornings in Mumbai have been getting perceptibly cooler. The minimum temperature at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) monitoring station in Santacruz on Thursday was recorded at 22.8 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal. This is also down from 23.4 degrees Celsius recorded on Wednesday, 24 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and 25.8 degrees Celsius on Monday.

Mumbai recorded ‘moderate’ air quality on Thursday, with an air quality index (AQI) value of 106 as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily air quality index bulletin. (Pratik Chorge/HT PHOTO)

“There are strong landward winds coming from the sea towards the evening which are bringing the temperature down. The relative humidity has also reduced sharply as there are no rains anymore. When the air is humid it can hold heat better than dry air,” said a meteorologist with IMD’s regional forecasting centre.

As per IMD’s seven-day forecast for Mumbai, the minimum temperature (which is recorded at 5.30am every day) is likely to hover around 23 and 24 degrees Celsius over the next week.

The absence of rain has also had implications for air quality in the city. Mumbai recorded ‘moderate’ air quality on Thursday, with an air quality index (AQI) value of 106 as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily air quality index bulletin. Particulate matter (PM) 2.5, ozone and PM10 were identified as the primary pollutants in the city, with presence of ozone indicating the presence of sunlight during the day. As per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), run by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, and the earth sciences ministry, PM10 in Mumbai was recorded at 101ug/m3 (above the safe level of 60ug/m3), while PM2.5 was recorded at 50ug/m3, within the permissible daily average.