Mumbai: Mumbai is set for a hotter Wednesday as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert, warning of hot and humid conditions across the city, with temperatures likely to touch 36°C, a sharp jump from Tuesday’s 33.7°C.
The alert also covers Thane, Palghar and Raigad. While the alert is for one day in Mumbai and Raigad, it extends till March 5 in Thane and Palghar. Sushma Nair, senior scientist at IMD Mumbai, said prevailing easterly winds and the presence of an anticyclonic circulation will lead to a rise in temperature.
At the Santacruz observatory, the city’s base weather station, the maximum temperature is expected to reach 36°C and the minimum 22°C. At Colaba, the maximum is likely to be 35°C and the minimum 23°C.
On Tuesday, Santacruz recorded a maximum of 33.7°C, which was normal for this time of year, while the minimum at 21.6°C was 1.7 degrees above normal. Colaba recorded a maximum of 30.6°C (1.6 degrees below normal) and a minimum of 23.4°C (1.4 degrees above normal).
Meanwhile, the city’s air quality slipped back into the ‘moderate’ category after six days in the ‘satisfactory’ range. According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s 4pm bulletin, Mumbai recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 111, with carbon monoxide (CO) as the prominent pollutant. Kandivali West recorded the highest AQI at 173, while Kandivali East recorded the lowest at 30, in the ‘good’ category.