At 15.3 degree Celsius, Mumbai records coldest day this year – Times of India

MUMBAI: Mumbaikars on Wednesday woke up to a minimum temperature of 15.3 degree Celsius, the lowest this year.
The minimum temperature recorded at the Indian Meteorological Department’s Santacruz observatory was the second lowest this winter.
The city had recorded 15 degree Celsius on December 29.
The minimum temperature on Wednesday was 2.2 degree Celsius below normal and lower than Tuesday’s 16 degree Celsius.
Colaba recorded a minimum temperature of 18 degree Celsius which was 1.5 degree Celsius below normal.
Last year, the lowest minimum temperature recorded in January was 11.4 degree Celsius.
Similarly, the day time temperatures remained low as well. Santacruz and Colaba recorded a maximum temperature of 29.7 and 28 degree Celsius, 1.9 and 2.3 degree Celsius below normal respectively.
The IMD has forecast that the temperatures are likely to remain in the similar range for a couple of more days.
“The minimum temperatures in the state will see a dip over the next 2-3 days as the north-western dry winds make way into Maharashtra. Temperatures in parts of North Maharashtra, Vidharbha could range between 10 to 12 degree Celsius. Mumbai and Thane could see a minimum temperature of around 15 degree Celsius,” said KS Hosalikar, deputy director general, western region, IMD.
Meanwhile, as temperatures dipped, the city’s air quality index (AQI) slipped back into the ‘very poor’ category after briefly improving to ‘poor’ for two days.
According to the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) Mumbai’s overall AQI on Wednesday was 307.
An AQI between 301 and 400 is considered very poor and triggers a health warning. “There is incoming dust from the desert. Calm winds and lower temperatures are arresting the dust in the air resulting in poor air quality,” said Gufrain Beig, project director, SAFAR.
Among the 10 locations monitored by SAFAR, Mazgaon was the most polluted with an AQI of 348.
The least polluted was Bhandup with an AQI of 176. SAFAR has forecast the AQI to only marginally improve to 301 and remain in the very poor category on Thursday.