Higher temperature may keep Mumbai’s post-Diwali air pollution lower: SAFAR

With Mumbai recording the most popular day this season up to now on Saturday, the town is anticipated to witness marginally decrease air air pollution publish Diwali owing to vary in climate elements resembling hotter circumstances and rise in wind velocity, stated official on the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

The day temperature recorded on the Santacruz climate observatory, consultant of the town, was 36 levels Celsius, 2.four diploma Celsius above regular. Colaba, consultant of south Mumbai, recorded 35 levels Celsius, nearly 2 levels Celsius above regular.

Pollution ranges have been within the ‘moderate’ air high quality class on Saturday (Diwali) towards a prediction of ‘poor’ air high quality. The air high quality index (AQI) for all pollution on Saturday was 111 (reasonable) with PM2.5 ranges within the passable class at 54 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m3) towards the protected restrict of 60 µg/m3, and AQI for PM2.5 at 98 (passable).

SAFAR revealed a revised air high quality forecast for Sunday that stated, “A positive development is that the prevailing temperature is not as cooler as expected. Also increase in wind speed may bring relief for Mumbai and the AQI is going to be towards the lower end of the very poor category with a 50% firecrackers (half of the average emissions from firecrackers in 2016-2018) scenario. In case of no firecracker emissions, AQI is likely to remain steady and within poor range only.”

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The most polluted areas are anticipated to be Chembur, Mazgaon, and Malad on Sunday. On Saturday, not a single location in Mumbai recorded ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ air. Bhandup and Navi Mumbai had the cleanest air.

“The highest levels of PM10 and PM2.5 are expected between 1 am to 4 am between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Air Quality will start to improve from Monday,” SAFAR stated.

Against the initially predicted AQI of 338 (very poor), which might have been the worst publish Diwali air high quality in six years, SAFAR’s revised forcecast stated the AQI was anticipated to be 309 (very poor) on Sunday and 267 (poor) with 50% cracker emissions, and 227 (poor) on Sunday and 203 (poor) on Monday from zero firecracker emissions. SAFAR categorises AQI ranges from 0-50 pretty much as good, 51-100 passable, 101-200 as reasonable, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 may be very poor, and above 401 is extreme.

Gufran Beig, venture director, SAFAR stated, “When the temperature and wind speed is low, pollutant particles get suspended closer to the surface but in this case current weather factors can allow slight increase in pollutant particle dispersion.”

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the wind course modified from cooler northeasterly winds to hotter easterly to southeasterly winds on Saturday permitting the rise in temperatures. The wind velocity ranged between 11 and 14 km/hour towards the common wind velocity over the previous three days at 5-6 km/hour. The minimal temperature on Saturday elevated to 22 levels Celsius (a level Celsius above regular) from 19.6 levels Celsius on Friday within the suburbs whereas south Mumbai recorded a 1 diploma Celsius rise from Friday to 24 levels Celsius on Saturday.

SAFAR additionally predicted that the focus of PM2.5 on Sunday could be over twice the protected restrict if firecrackers have been used. Against the protected restrict of 60µg/m3, Mumbai may document 132 µg/m3 on Sunday (50% firecracker emissions) and 98 µg/m3 (nil emission from firecrackers).