Mumbai weather updates: Smog shrouds city skyline as air quality dips despite clear skies

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Mumbai woke up on Saturday morning to bright sunshine dimmed by a thick layer of smog, which blurred its iconic skyline and reduced early morning visibility. After several days of relatively clean air, the city experienced a sudden dip in air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) slipping into the ‘moderate' category.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board's SAMEER app, Mumbai recorded an AQI of 116 at 9.05 a.m. on Saturday, signalling a noticeable decline from the previous days when air quality had remained in the ‘good' range. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that while skies were expected to remain clear through the day, the smog contributed to hazy conditions during the morning hours. Daytime temperatures are likely to hover around 31 degrees Celsius, with minimums near 22 degrees Celsius.

The SAMEER dashboard showed varying air quality levels across Mumbai. Areas such as Colaba, Borivali, Vile Parle and Mulund recorded relatively cleaner air with AQI readings of 50, 39, 85 and 91 respectively - all within the ‘good' category. However, several other parts of the city reported worsening conditions. Powai (101), Mazgaon (120), Andheri (116) and Ghatkopar (164) were all categorised as ‘moderate'.

The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) recorded the poorest air in the city, with an AQI of 222, placing it firmly in the ‘poor' category. In the adjoining regions, Navi Mumbai registered a ‘moderate' AQI of 129, while Thane stood close behind at 122.

An AQI reading between 0 and 100 is considered ‘good', 101 to 200 ‘moderate', 201 to 300 ‘poor', 301 to 400 ‘very poor', and 401 to 500 or above ‘severe'.

Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital remained in the 'very poor' category on Saturday morning as Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reading stood at 355, as of 8 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

AQI at India Gate was 322. In the Palam area, the AQI recorded was 320, while in Dhaula Kuan AQI reported was 269. On Thursday, Delhi's overall AQI recorded at 8 am was 271, categorised as 'poor', according to data from the CPCB.