Rains expected over weekend, smog troubles Mumbaikars

Mumbai is set for more rain this weekend with a yellow alert. Thunderstorms, gusty winds, and smog due to thermal inversion are expected.

Mumbai: More rains await the city in the coming weekend, with a yellow alert slated for Saturday and Sunday. Thunderstorms with lightning, light to moderate rain, and gusty winds are expected after Friday, which will see thunderstorms and light rain as per the IMD.

Rains expected over weekend, smog troubles Mumbaikars

A cyclonic circulation over Lakshadweep and an expected upper air cyclonic circulation over the over North Andaman Sea are the weather systems at play, said the IMD’s inference.

On Thursday, maximum temperatures in the city were over one degree below normal, clocking in at 32.7 degrees Celsius at Santacruz and 31.3 degrees Celsius at Colaba. The minimum temperatures were, conversely, one degree above normal, at 25.4 degrees Celsius and 26.4 degrees Celsius respectively. Rainfall between 8am on Wednesday and Thursday was negligible.

While the average AQI in the city on Thursday was in the satisfactory levels at 75, with PM10 as the primary pollutant, a few stations of BKC, Mazgaon, Navy Nagar in Colaba and Vasai West had their pollution levels in the moderate category. The look of smog settled over the city, alarming citizens, one of whom remarked on X that Mumbai had “turned into a gas chamber.” The civic body responded with a statement, explaining weather conditions were the cause for the distorted visibility and smog. It said, “Due to the low temperatures in winter, there is dew in the air. Dust and other particles generated by industries, vehicles, and construction projects accumulate in the air. Dew in the air mixes with dust and other particles, causing the air layer to descend further. This phenomenon is called ‘Thermal Inversion.’”

It went on to explain that dew particles stay suspended in the lower layer of air due to the warmer temperature above, leading to the distortion of sun’s rays and causing a fog-like look. “Smog forms from a mixture of dust, smoke, and fog. At present, due to the slowing down of the sea breeze, dust and other particles accumulate in the air, contributing to the formation of smog,” it ended, adding that this is a phenomenon seen frequently in the winters.