After rainfall in Mumbai on Friday night, the city woke up with a blanket of smog hovering over the sunny sky on Saturday, October 25. Due to Cyclone Montha, the Konkan region of Maharashtra may witness rains and thunderstorms. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued and yellow alert, expecting cloudy skies and moderate rainfall with winds in the evening on October 25.
The day temperature in the city is expected to hover around 35 degrees Celsius and during the night, the minimum temperature is likely to be 25 degrees Celsius. The unseasonal rainfall due to cyclonic circulation in the Bay of Bengal cooled the temperature, giving much relief to Mumbaikars on Friday night.
Despite the rains, the city witnessed a blanket of smog in the morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 63, placing the city in the moderate category, a notable recovery from the unhealthy levels recorded earlier in the week during Diwali.
The AQI level at the Wadala Truck Terminal monitoring station reported the highest pollution level with 190 AQI, followed by BKC (75), Kurla (73), Worli (73) and Chembur (72). In the suburban part of the city, Thakur Village in Kandivali reported the city’s best air quality with an AQI of 25, while Parel-Bhoiwada (32), Malad West (38), Borivali East (40), and Kandivali East (43) also registered good air quality, offering much-needed relief to residents.
Rain is expected to continue along the Konkan coast over the weekend due to a low-pressure area forming in the Arabian Sea. IMD has predicted moderate rainfall with thunder across most parts of Maharashtra, except North Vidarbha, till October 28.
According to meteorologist Athreya Shetty, the low-pressure system in the Arabian Sea has intensified, increasing moisture levels and causing untimely thunderstorms. Mumbai and nearby areas are expected to receive rain on Saturday and Sunday. The city is also likely to remain cloudy early next week.
Yellow Alert Issued
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for several districts over the next four days:
October 25: Nashik, Jalgaon, Ahilyanagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Akola, Buldhana, Chandrapur.
October 26: Mumbai, Nashik, Khandesh, Ahilyanagar, Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded.
October 27: Dhule, Mumbai, Nashik, Khandesh, Ahilyanagar, Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
October 28: Pune, Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Nanded.