Mumbai: Light haze grips city again, AQI dips to moderate category

After a brief spell of clean and breathable air Mumbairsquos air quality deteriorated on Sunday slipping back into the moderate category with a light layer of haze visible across the city in the morningAccording to the Central Pollution Control Boardrsquos SAMEER app the city recorded an air quality index AQI of 111 placing it in the moderate category At this level the air may cause breathing discomfort for people with lung and heart conditions and those with asthmaMeanwhile the India Meteorological Department IMD has predicted maximum and minimum temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius respectively for Mumbai indicating warm conditions alongside the decline in air qualityAQI across MumbaiAQI levels varied across different parts of Mumbai with some areas recording higher pollution levels Deonar reported the highest AQI at 179 followed by Bandra Kurla Complex at 165 and Andheri at 153 Borivali East recorded an AQI of 126 Byculla 115 and Chembur 107 all falling under the moderate category Colaba remained relatively better with an AQI of 70 classified as satisfactoryIn the neighbouring regions Thane recorded an AQI of 82 while Navi Mumbai stood at 116 and Kalyan at 71 indicating mostly satisfactory to moderate air quality levels in the Mumbai Metropolitan RegionExperts advise vulnerable groups to limit prolonged outdoor exposure and take necessary precautions as pollution levels rise againMaharashtra weather update Heat intensifies across state Jalgaon Malegaon record 41 degrees CelsiusSeveral parts of Maharashtra continue to reel under rising temperatures with multiple districts recording abovenormal heat levels according to the Meteorological Departmentrsquos latest weather report issued at 830 amJalgaon and Malegaon emerged among the hottest locations in the state both recording maximum temperatures of 41 degrees Celsius on Sunday Solapur closely followed at 414 degrees Celsius while Sangli 403 degrees Celsius and Jeur 40 degrees Celsius also experienced intense heat conditionsTemperatures in MarathwadaIn the Marathwada region Aurangabad and Parbhani recorded highs of 394 degrees Celsius while Osmanabad touched 396 degrees Celsius indicating persistently warm conditions across the beltMumbai remained relatively cooler compared to the interior districts but continued to witness warm and humid weather Colaba recorded a maximum temperature of 34 degrees Celsius while Santacruz reported 346 degrees Celsius Minimum temperatures stood at 274 degrees Celsius and 234 degrees Celsius respectively both slightly above normal reflecting uncomfortable humidity levels in the cityCoastal weatherIn coastal areas Dahanu recorded a high of 35 degrees Celsius while Ratnagiri saw a maximum of 33 degrees Celsius Harnai in Ratnagiri reported relatively high humidity levels with morning relative humidity at 75 per cent and rising further in the eveningMeanwhile the famous hill station Mahabaleshwar recorded a comparatively lower maximum temperature of 337 degrees Celsius offering mild relief from the heat while Pune division areas such as Nashik reported temperatures nearing 39 degrees CelsiusMinimum temperatures across the state showed mixed trends with some regions like Jalgaon 20 degrees Celsius and Malegaon 19 degrees Celsius recording belownormal night temperatures while cities such as Mumbai and Solapur experienced warmer nightsThe IMD data also indicated varying humidity levels across Maharashtra with coastal regions witnessing higher moisture content while interior districts recorded relatively drier conditionsWith temperatures remaining above normal in several districts residents are likely to continue experiencing hot weather conditions especially during the afternoon hours