Aftermath of Monsoon: Mumbai grapples with October heat, smog & plummeting AQI

As the monsoon bids adieu to Mumbai, the city has found itself grappling with soaring temperatures and high humidity, raising alarms about the arrival of ‘October Heat’. Additionally, the city was also blanketed in smog yesterday, impacting visibility. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has dropped into the moderate category, attributed to climate conditions.

As per experts, two main factors at play are:

• Slow wind reversal has trapped pollutants in the atmosphere, creating a smog-like situation, which will persist as temperatures remain above 30 degrees for the next few days.

• Ongoing emissions are also contributing to the problem, with little change in pollution sources from January to October. With the rains gone, suspended particles are reappearing as smog. 

Amid all this, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted minimal to no rainfall for Mumbai.

Weather in Mumbai today is expected to be cloudy, with occasional light rain or drizzle throughout the day. IMD forecasts temperatures to range between 26 and 31 degrees Celsius.