City skyline wears a reddish tinge at night

HYDERABAD: A casual sky-gazer might not be able to notice the phenomenon. But a careful look at the night sky of Hyderabad will surprise you with the presence of a pale reddish-orange hue.The high levels of pollution in the city, coupled with the onset of low temperatures is causing what Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board officials claim a possible case of inversion phenomenon. “Its a condition visible in highly polluted areas experiencing dip in temperatures,” said Prasanna Kumar, environmental engineer with the APPCB. Inversion in meteorology means that in less windy and cooler conditions, smoke or air does not disperse effectively but remains concentrated in the lower atmospheric levels, causing a smog-like condition to form at low levels to the ground. The dust and smog causes a reddish tint in the sky and turns the air still, though the colour can be visible only in highly polluted urban areas, according to Kumar.This phenomenon, a common occurrence in Mumbai which has high levels of pollution has been visiting Hyderabad too. “It usually occurs when the nights are cloudy and is most visible during winter months. For the past few days, the city has not been experiencing a clear sky. That and the reflection of a large number of lights at night against those clouds could also be a reason for the change in colour,” said a Met official.