Mumbai: At a minimum temperature of 13.6 degree Celsius - as recorded by the Santacruz observatory - Monday was the city's coldest day of the season so far. The mercury dipped 3.6 degree below normal. However, the department forecast that temperatures will rise by the coming weekend. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature recorded on Monday was 27.9 degree Celsius.
A day before on Sunday, Mumbai recorded a minimum temperature of 13.8 degree Celsius. Historically, the coldest the city has ever been is in January 1962 when temperatures plummeted to 7.4 degree Celsius. Last week too, minimum temperatures were in the range of 15 to 16 degree Celsius. "The city is experiencing winds from the northern region of the country which has significantly low temperatures." Apart from Mumbai, Nashik and Jalgaon in Maharashtra recorded temperatures as low as 9 degree Celsius.
The good news is that strong wind movement has led to an improvement in the city's air with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded as 171 by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). As such, Mumbai's air quality has turned from "poor" last week to "moderate" as of now.
Meanwhile, dipping mercury levels have resulted in at least 50 to 60 patients turning up at the out-patient department (OPD) of civic hospitals with complaints of breathlessness, coughing, sneezing, tightness in the chest, allergy and asthma, dean of KEM Hospital and director of major civic-run hospitals, Dr AvinashSupe, told The Asian Age. "Most of the hospitals have seen a 20 per cent rise in patients seeking treatment for respiratory and cardiac issues," he added.
Dr Om Shrivastav, infectious diseases expert, said, "If patients show any symptoms of viral fever or respiratory problems, they should immediately seek treatment at a hospital instead of resorting to self-medication. Excessive air pollution is related to respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. In such weather conditions, cases of bronchitis are likely to increase in the city, primarily due to temperature fluctuations."
