Mumbai’s air is worst in India: What’s making it dangerous to breathe

Mumbai has ranked as the fifth most polluted city in the world and the most polluted in India, according to global air quality assessment platform iQAir, as the city continues to experience unusually hot and humid weather following a rain-deficient monsoon. The city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 152 on Thursday, categorised as unhealthy, with ground-level ozone (O3) identified as the primary pollutant, according to iQAir, a US-based air quality monitoring organisation.

The reading comes amid a spell of above-normal temperatures following the early withdrawal of the monsoon. Mumbai has recorded its hottest days in at least a decade on three occasions this month, with maximum temperatures hovering 4-5 degrees Celsius above normal on several days.

This year, Mumbai is experiencing an El Nino pattern of climate, as a result of which the wind speed has slowed down tremendously while the overall temperature is hot and humid." Mumbai AQI worst in India: Graphic 1 Mumbai air quality Why Mumbai’s air is the worst in India The city ranked fifth-most polluted of 122 cities worldwide on Thursday.