Dust, haze over Mumbai: Air quality drops drastically as massive dust storm from Balochistan wrecks havoc

New Delhi, (Agencies): Mumbai woke up to hot, hazy weather and dust-laden winds on Sunday, a day after a drizzle in isolated parts of the city.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in a bulletin, warned that hazy and cloudy skies are reported over Mumbai, Pune, north Maharashtra and adjoining districts of Gujarat since Sunday morning and will prevail till Monday evening.

The weatherman said a dust storm originating in the Gulf area and from Karachi, Pakistan, was moving towards Rajasthan and neighboring Gujarat, coupled with warmer temperatures in areas along the Arabian sea including Mumbai has led to sand particles entering and polluting the air across the region.

Among the Island city and the suburbs, the worst-hit was the western suburb of Malad, which recorded an AQI of 436.

Chembur recorded an AQI of 347, Andheri – 340, Bhandup – 336, Mazgaon – 372, Worli – 319, BKC – 307, Colaba -221, Borivli -162 and Navi Mumbai 101 the IMD said.

Dust storm originated in Balochistan

The IMD stated the dust storm originated in Balochistan, Pakistan and was caused by a westerly trough combined with humid weather.

Winds carrying dust blew from south Pakistan areas and adjoining the Arabian sea towards Kutch and Saurashtra towards evening.

An IMD official claimed, ‘’dust storms accompanied by surface winds at a wind speed of 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph, was over Saurashtra and Kutch, and at isolated places over adjoining Gujarat region and south Rajasthan and impacted Mumbai and adjoining areas on Sunday. The Saurashtra coast has been getting dust-raising winds from Saturday evening. The Dwarka weather station reported 400-metre visibility. At Porbandar, the wind speed was more than 10 km per hour with visibility of less than one kilometer.’’