City remains cool on Saturday as air quality worsens, Chembur slips into ‘poor’

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Santacruz recorded a minimum temperature of 17.4°C on Saturday, 0.4°C above normal, while the maximum settled at 31.8°C, 0.4°C below normal

Mumbai: The city continued to see relatively cool weather on Saturday, even as air quality deteriorated across several pockets, with Chembur slipping into the poor category.

The city continued to see relatively cool weather on Saturday, even as air quality deteriorated across several pockets, with Chembur slipping into the poor category. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Santacruz recorded a minimum temperature of 17.4°C on Saturday, 0.4°C above normal, while the maximum settled at 31.8°C, 0.4°C below normal. Further down south, Colaba logged a minimum temperature of 20.7°C, 0.8°C above normal, and a maximum of 31.4°C, 0.4°C below normal.

On Friday, Santacruz had recorded a minimum temperature of 16.9°C, one of the coolest readings of the season, indicating a brief dip before temperatures stabilised a little. An IMD official said that no significant changes are expected in the coming days. “Minimum temperatures will range between 18°C and 20°C, while maximum temperatures are likely to remain between 32°C and 33°C,” the official said.

While the weather remained pleasant, air quality showed a steady decline. The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rose from 104 on Thursday to 118 on Friday, and worsened to 136 by Saturday afternoon, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The deterioration was most pronounced in Chembur, which recorded an AQI of 253, placing it in the poor category. Other locations also reported elevated pollution levels, including Bandra Kurla Complex (167), Kandivali West (163), Navy Nagar–Colaba (151), Powai (140) and Deonar (140), reflecting a wider spread of pollution beyond isolated hotspots.

A senior BMC official said the civic body has intensified actions in response to the rising pollution. “We are taking action regularly. There has been an increase in our enforcement action and monitoring squads across the city. These localised pockets are seeing higher pollution largely due to vehicular emissions,” the official said.

Civic officials added calm winds have reduced the dispersion of pollutants, allowing fine particulate matter, especially PM2.5 to build up. Air quality is expected to remain in the moderate range unless wind conditions improve.