Skymet weather

NO RELIEF FROM DISTRESS LEVEL IN DELHI FOR REST OF AUGUST

Heat in DelhiThere seems no respite from rising mercury compounded by high humidity in Delhi for rest of the month. Just 10 days left for the Monsoon month of August to end and no big relief likely, on the contrary, distress level will only rise from now.

The western arm of the Monsoon trough continues to run closer to the foothills of the Himalayas but has weakened considerably. The eastern part of the trough passes through Bahraich, Gorakhpur, Bhagalpur, Balurghat and further eastwards to Manipur across Assam and Meghalaya.

Though the trough will pass through the same areas at least for next 48 hours, the western arm has weakened. Rain in the hilly states of North India was accentuated by a Western Disturbance in the last few days. But in the absence of any Western Disturbance at present, the hilly states of North India will observe only light rain due to localised activities, while the plains will remain mainly dry.

Rain in Delhi

Consequently, there are no chances of rain in Delhi in the coming days and situation could now grow from bad to worse. The month of August observes 253.4 mm of rain on an average but Delhi has received only 120 mm of rain during the month so far.

On the 12th of August, Skymet Meteorology Division in India came up with a story saying discomfort level in Delhi rises in the absence of rain and the situation hasn’t altered since then.

Temperature in Delhi

The Safdarjung Observatory on Monday recorded 36.4oC as maximum while Palam was 4oC above normal at 37.8oC. The maximum humidity for the day was 80% while minimum was 50%. Winds were not strong enough to bring a soothing factor and Delhiites had to contend with sweaty conditions.

TOP TEN RAINIEST CITIES IN INDIA ON MONDAY

Rain in Tamil NaduAfter receiving 167 mm of heavy rain, Passighat in Arunachal Pradesh was the rainiest city in India on Monday. Several places in Tamil Nadu continue to receive heavy rainfall with Tiruchirapalli recording 77mm, Kodaikanal 68 mm and Thanjavur 50 mm. According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, rainy weather will continue in Northeast India. Along with the west coast, parched states of South India could get some rain tomorrow.

Here’s a look at our list of top ten rainiest cities in India on Monday:

Cities State Rainfall (in millimeters)
Passighat Arunachal Pradesh 167
Cherrapunji Meghalaya 83
Tiruchirapalli Tamil Nadu 77
Kodaikanal Tamil Nadu 68
Honnavar Karnataka 58
Daltonganj Jharkhand 57
Thanjavur Tamil Nadu 50
Gadag Karnataka 48
Madurai Tamil Nadu 46
Bijapur Karnataka 40

 Rain in Tamil Nadu

24 hours rain in Tiruchirapalli exceeds monthly normal

Monsoon rainTiruchirapalli finally ended its long spell of dry weather with 76.5 mm of rain being observed in a span of 24 hours from 8.30 am on Monday. This has been the first spell of heavy rain - more than the monthly average of 70.1 mm - in the city in almost 40 days. Between 8th July and 18th August Trichy had recorded an abysmal 5 mm of rain.

Such heavy spells occur occasionally during the Southwest Monsoon season which is evident from the fact that the city had recorded 156 mm of rain – all-time high - on 27th August, 2008.

It is to be noted that Trichy being in Tamil Nadu falls in the rain shadow area and does not receive much rain during the Southwest Monsoon season due to which its average monthly rainfall for the months of June, July and August is low.

The city observes its bulk of rain during the Northeast Monsoon season with average rain in September recording 187 mm (retreating Monsoon), October 142 mm and November 150 mm. It reduces and settles at 89 mm in December, which is the withdrawal time for the Northeast Monsoon.

Absence of rain had lead to a constant rise in temperatures in the city. The maximums had frequently been exceeding 38oC against the monthly average of 35.8oC. Almost 13 days in August the maximums have exceeded 38oC, with highest recording 39oC, on 16th August. During Monday too, when the city observed rain the maximum settled at 38.3oC, which is 3 degrees above normal. Probably the excess heat triggered rain in Trichy. The minimum had settled at 22oC on Tuesday morning, about 4 degrees below normal.

 

Skymet analyses the recent spate of flood fury in 7 states

Flood in IndiaSeven states of India comprising of hills, valleys and plains faced flood fury in recent days. The death toll in floods that have hit parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir has crossed 100, with more than 20 lakh people still marooned, according to media reports.

A recent cloud burst in Uttarakhand left behind a massive swathe of destruction, washing away practically everything from houses and schools, and left farms submerged. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and parts of West Bengal were inundated as rivers overflowed after Nepal was forced to open dam gates.

Flood in hills and valleys

Flood can be of several types depending upon the terrain. Flash floods are generally witnessed in hilly areas and associated with cloud bursts, i.e. heavy to very heavy rain in a short span. In fact, the terrain amplifies the trouble as large volumes of water roll down the slopes and causes flash floods.

Heavy showers in Uttarakhand on the 14th and 15th of August, had caused several incidents of landslides and flooding across Uttarakhand. Though rain has reduced now, the situation could remain grim for few more days. In Meghalaya, the East Khasi hills, where Cherrapunji lies, are more prone to floods.

Flood in plains

Flood in plains commenced with Odisha followed by Bihar, parts of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

Incessant torrential rains raised hue and cry in several villages, situated in the foothills of Uttar Pradesh, almost entire Bihar and Odisha. Though rain has reduced drastically, the situation remains grim due to irreparable damages done by flood-like situation in the states.

In plains flood situation arises due to various factors, beside heavy rain. Surface flooding in plains are caused mostly by inundation and water logging. Heavy rain in the catchment areas of the hills, flows down with rivers and accumulate in the plains below. The flood fury in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was brought about by the inflow of rain waters from the hills of Nepal.

In Bihar, not only the foothills but also the plains received heavy showers. As a result, water levels of Kosi, Gandak and Bagmati rivers touched the danger mark. The water levels are now receding but the situation remains grim.

Southwest Monsoon had been vigorous over Odisha since the beginning of August and the state had been the most weather intensive pocket of the country. Sambalpur had received a whopping 273 mm of rain, while Jharsuguda received 115 mm on the 4th of August.  Due to torrential rain, the state witnessed surface water logging and inundation. Heavy rain also resulted in steep rise in water level of more than nine rivers in the state. Rain reduced considerably by the 10th of August but damage repair continues.

Moreover, places in proximity to water bodies have low absorption power. Dry and parched areas generally absorb rain waters faster than places situated next to a river bed.

Damage done by floods in recent times

Highest number of death has been reported from Uttarakhand. As per media reports, 34 people have been killed in Uttar Pradesh while nine are said to have died in Bihar.

Uttar Pradesh- More than 1500 villages were inundated by heavy rains in this state. The plains of Uttar Pradesh remains unaffected but the foothills were affected, especially due to the release of water from overflowing dams in neighbouring Nepal. The villages lying in the Terai region also received good amounts of rain from the 15th to 17th of August.

Government authorities deployed helicopters to supply food and water to the people marooned in the temporary shelters.

Bihar- Thousands of people have been affected in the districts of Darbhanga, West Champaran and Nalanda after breaches in the embankments of Kamla Balan and Gandak rivers.

The state government has effectively taken up rescue operations and deployed the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force. According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, rain has reduced and the precarious situation will ease out within 2 to 3 days.

Odisha-

The state government had mobilized Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and National Disaster Rapid Action Force (NDRAF) units for taking up rescue and relief operations.

Communication and connectivity are hit hard during deluge and therefore, relief operation of all kind gets hampered. Roads get blocked due to landslide in the hills. Most parts of the flood-hit regions are totally marooned and can only be reached by helicopter. In the hills, this method also becomes unconquerable.

Moreover, air efforts to supply food and necessities are hindered on account of inclement weather and paucity of landing strips. Magnitude of problems grows exponentially and becomes disproportionate to the available resources. Therefore, allocation of resources to the needy appears inadequate and delayed.

picture courtesy- IIT BHU Chronicle

After recovery, rain deficit in Gujarat rises again

Gujarat rainThe beginning of Monsoon season was very poor for the entire country as the cumulative deficit in June stood at 43%. The regional deficit was even worse with sub-divisions like Gujarat and Saurashtra and Kutch observing a rainfall deficit of 91% and 75% respectively, till mid-July.

However, the third and fourth week of July saw some rain and the deficit in Gujarat came down to 48% by the third week. Saurashtra and Kutch saw the deficit drop to 56%.

By the end of July both the sub-divisions experienced some more good showers due to which the deficit slipped further and stood at 23% in Gujarat by 1st August, while Saurashtra and Kutch became normal at -17% (± 19% considered normal). The deficit maintained till the 10th of August but paucity of rain again pushed up the deficit in Gujarat which now stands at 31%. Saurashtra and Kutch sub-division again became deficit by 21%.

According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, from 1st June till date the Gujarat sub-division has received 448 mm of rain against the monthly average of 642.6 mm, while Saurashtra and Kutch has received 283.2 mm against the average of 353.8 mm for the same period.

And the scenario does not look to improve in the near future as there isn’t much rain expected in both the sub-divisions.

 

Picture courtesy: dnaindia.com

Relief showers in South India, North India remains dry

coastal rainAs reiterated by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, South India, in the last two days has been observing scattered rainfall activity. In a span of 24 hours from 8.30 am on Monday, Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu has received 76.5 mm of rain, which is a big relief for the city. Between 8th July and 18th August Trichy had observed only 5 mm of rain.

Chitradurga and Gadag in Karnataka have also been observing similar weather conditions. In last one week Chitradurga has experienced less than a millimeter of rain. However, on Monday the city witnessed 17.5 mm of rain, while Gadag recorded 48 mm. Bangalore and Bijapur also observed 11.1 mm and 40.2 mm of rain respectively.

Some other places in the region to receive rain were Punalur 36.2 mm, kochi 9 mm, Honavar 58 mm, Coimbatore 4 mm and Chennai 0.2 mm of rain.

The weather in South India is likely to prevail for another 48 hours, with light to moderate rain being observed across the region. The rain belt is likely to shift further towards North Interior Karnataka, coastal parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada during this time.

East and Northeast India  

The flood like situation in Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh still prevails despite rain reducing and becoming minimal in East India. In last 24 hours, from 8.30 am on Monday the flood-hit areas of Bahraich, Gorakpur and Motihari have received traces of rain, while Purnea has observed 2.9 mm of rain.

After consecutive days of rain last week, Northeast and Sub Himalayan West Bengal too have been observing decrease in rainfall activity. Gangtok and Tadong in Sikkim received 2.6 mm and 14.7 mm of rain respectively on Monday.

However, rainfall is again expected to pick up in Northeast India from mid-week onwards.

North India   

There has been minimal activity in North India in terms of rain. Temperatures have been rising and staying 2-3 degrees above normal in the region. The maximum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung Observatory in Delhi on Monday was 36.4oC, 3 degrees above normal. The Palam Observatory recorded 37.8oC, which is 4 degrees above normal.

Chandigarh in Punjab recorded 35.1oC as the maximum on Monday, which is 2 degrees above normal. Ambala saw maximum settling at 34.7oC, again 2 degrees above normal.

Even in the hills the temperatures have been rising due to lack of rain. Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh recorded 26oC as the maximum temperature on Monday, which is a whopping 6 degrees above normal. Kullu too observed a maximum of 32.6 oC, 2 degrees above normal.

This condition is likely to prevail in the plains of north India for another couple of days.

Central India

Central India has been observing weather conditions similar to that of North India. Here too maximum temperatures have been recording above normal due lack of rain. Nagpur in Maharashtra recorded 34.7oC as the maximum temperature on Monday, which is 4 degrees above normal. Bhopal saw maximum record 3oC above normal at 31.7oC.

Rain in Rajasthan that had been observing some good spell in the last 4-5 days has reduced forcing the temperatures to become normal. Bikaner recorded 38oC  as the maximum temperature on Monday, while Jaipur and Jaisalmer saw the maximum settle at 36oC  and 37.7oC respectively.

Ahmedabad and Rajkot in Gujarat also saw maximums shoot 2 degrees above normal and settle at 35oC and 34oC respectively.

 

WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE WEEK IN INDIA FROM 18TH TO 24TH AUGUST

Monsoon cloudsThe weekly forecast brought out by Skymet last week, predicted that East and Northeast India would be the activity centre. By and large, the week gone-by panned out similar to predictions. Extensive rain activity had been observed over Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Last week raised flood havoc in the above states but reduced state-wise rain deficiencies considerably. National rain deficit kept hovering around 18% throughout the week.

Entire northern plains remained mainly dry throughout the week. As reiterated by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the hilly states received good showers during the weekend. Uttarakhand had to bear the brunt of heavy showers as flood related accidents claimed more than 50 lives.

We’ll now take a look at the weather forecast for this week.

North India:  

With the Monsoon trough lying closer to the foothills, rain in the hilly states of North India was accentuated by a Western Disturbance. This week commences with the trough still lying close to the foothills with an embedded cyclonic circulation lying in the lower levels over Sub Himalayan West Bengal and north Bihar.

In the absence of any Western Disturbance at present, the hilly states of North India could observe only light rain due to localised activities. But the plains will remain mainly dry throughout the week.

East & Northeast India:

Intensity of rain will decrease over these parts during the first half of the week. Nevertheless, Southwest Monsoonwill gain strength in pockets of Sub Himalayan West Bengal and North Bihar from the second half. East & Northeast India will remain the most active region throughout the week.

Central India:

 Southwest Monsoon will remain subdued over Central India this week as well. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, east Rajasthan will remain dry but few light spells cannot be ruled out due to localised weather activities.

South India:

The cyclonic circulation over westcentral Bay of South Andhra Pradesh and North Tamil Nadu will weaken but remain strong enough to bring good showers over coastal Andhra Pradesh, interiors of Rayalaseema and Karnataka for next 48 hours.

The system will move inwards by the second half of the week and give scattered rain over Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The highly rain deficit sub-division of Telangana, Marthawada and Madhya Maharashtra will get some relief as the rain belt could travel up to these areas.

West coast:

The west coast has been keeping quiet since last few days and this situation likely to continue for next the 48 hours. An off-shore trough running from Mahrashtra to Kerala will increase rain along the west coast, particularly coastal Karnataka from 21st onwards. Honnavar, Karwar, Kottayam and adjoining areas could receive good showers.

Top 5 Janmashtami songs from Bollywood

Janmashtami SongLord Krishna's birth, known as Janmashtami, Gokul Ashtami or Dahi Handi festival, is celebrated by all and sundry in the country. This day brings in lots of colours and music to our life.

Janmashtami generally is celebrated on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Shravan or Monsoon month of August. This year, Janmashtami is being celebrated on Sunday, 17th August.

Its festival time and how can Bollywood stay calm? Bollywood celebrates all the festivals enthusiastically both on and off the screen. Dahi handi, celebrated on the occasion of Lord Krishna's birth, is one such festival which gets a new twist by every filmmaker.

Every Janmashtami song has been made memorable by the actors featuring in them. So groove to these famous Bollywood songs on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami.

Shammi Kapoor's Govinda Aala Re Aala- This song is from the film Bluffmaster, 1963, is a super hit Bollywood number. This movie featuring Shammi Kapoor, Saira Banu, Pran and Lalita Pawar, gained popularity with this song. The music created by Kalyanji Anandji,  is still the first song  that comes one of the most popular songs based on Janmashtami festival.

 Shatrughan Sinha’s Govinda Alo Re- Audience loved it as Shotgun Shatrughan Sinha grooved to this number from the movie ‘Badla’.

 Sonakshi Sinha’s Go Go Go Govinda- We have seem male actors breaking the ‘matki’ several times but actress Sonakshi Sinha wooed the country as she climbed up the pyramid to break the ‘matki’, in the movie Oh My God.

 Amitabh Bachchan's Mach Gaya Shor Saari Nagri Mein- This song from the movie Khuddar is also one of the Dahi Handi festival famous songs.

 Salman Khan’s Chandi Ki Daal Par- This Janmashtami song is probably the best part of the movie Hello Brother. And Salman Khan makes the song even more special.

Flood fury in Terai region of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh likely to abate

Flood in BiharHeavy Monsoon showers since the last 5 to 6 days raised hue and cry in the villages of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Though rain has reduced drastically, the situation remains grim due to irreparable damages done by flood-like situation in the states.

The Monsoon trough still lies closer to the foothills but has weakened considerably. Thereby, rain has reduced all along the foothills of the Himalayas, easing out flood havoc in the four states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

The flood fury in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar was brought about by the inflow of rain waters from the hills of Nepal. Good showers are likely to continue in Nepal but heavy to very heavy showers are unlikely. Consequently, the current flood-like situation in the Indian states will not worsen.

Flood in Uttar Pradesh

As per media reports, 28 people have been killed and more than 1500 villages inundated by heavy rains. The plains of Uttar Pradesh remains unaffected but the hilly areas were affected, especially due to the release of water from overflowing dams in neighbouring Nepal. The villages lying in the Terai region also received good amounts of rain from the 15th to 17th of August.

Government authorities deployed Army helicopters to supply food and water to the people marooned in the temporary shelters.

Flood in Bihar

In Bihar, not only the hilly areas but also the plains have been receiving heavy showers. As a result, water levels of Kosi, Gandak and Bagmati rivers have touched the danger mark.

Skymet had placed a warning of double trouble for Bihar on the 14th itself after Patna received 178 mm of rain Bhagalpur 98.4 mm.

Thousands of people have been affected in the districts of Darbhanga, West Champaran and Nalanda after breaches in the embankments of Kamla Balan and Gandak rivers.

The state government has effectively taken up rescue operations and deployed the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force.

According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, rain has reduced and the precarious situation will ease out within 2 to 3 days.

picture courtesy- Abhishek Bharadwaj

Rain decreases over Bihar, Monsoon remains active over Northeast

Satellite Image India 16th August, 2014-12-00The Monsoon trough lies along the foothills and the cyclonic circulation over Sub Himalayan West Bengal and adjoining areas persists. A trough can be seen extending from the system up to north Bay of Bengal. Moist south westerly winds are prevailing over Gujarat, west Rajasthan and adjoining Punjab areas.

Thick Monsoon clouds can be seen along the foothills right from Himachal Pradesh to Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Northeast India. Rest of the country will have a very thin layer of Monsoon clouds.

Consequently, Southwest Monsoon remains active over East India. Sub Himalayan West Bengal, and Northeast India will also receive good showers for next 48 hours. As predicted by Skymet, the heavy spell of rain that Bihar has been observing in the last couple of days will start waning now. But the adjoining state of Jharkhand and West Bengal will continue to observe some good rain for a couple of days more.

In last 24 hours, Gaya in Patna received 56 mm of rain and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand received 19 mm of rain.

In West Bengal, Baharampur received 23 mm, Asansol 28.5 mm, Coochbehar 43.2 mm, Krishnagar 34.4 mm, Diamond Harbour 28.4 mm and Kolkata 24 mm of rain.

In Northeast India, Cherrapunji received a whopping 258 mm, Shillong 77 mm, Passighat received 54 mm of rain, Barpeta 36 mm, Goalpara 56 mm and Imphal 26 mm of rain.

Weather in South India

Rain has reduced in intensity along the west coast. As per weather alert issued by Skymet Meteorology Division in India at 11.51 am on Saturday, light to moderate rain and thundershowers likely over east Godavari, Krishna, Machilipatnam and west Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh during next 2 to 6 hours.

Weather in North India

As the Monsoon trough has shifted closer to the foothills, good showers likely over Uttarakhand, and foothills of Uttar Pradesh. Delhi, Punjab and Haryana will remain mainly dry with possibility of only passing showers  for next 2 days.

Temperatures following a rising trend across North India with maximums around 35 degrees. However, comparatively dry westerly winds will keep morning and evening hours comfortable.

 

Punjab, Marathwada worst rainfall sub-divisions

Punjab droughtIt’s the middle of August, meaning we are halfway through the Monsoon season. But what’s worrying is that rainfall recovery has not been very encouraging. As of today the national cumulative deficit still stands at 18%, with 15 out of 36 sub-divisions being deficit (-20% to -59%). More alarming is the fact that two sub-divisions, Punjab and Marathwada are scanty (observing a deficit of 60% and above).

The scenario was even worse in June when 20 sub-divisions were deficit and 11 were scanty, raising some alarm. However, the situation improved in July with three sub-divisions observing excess rain. 17 sub-division were normal, while only 15 were deficit and scant was just one.

In fact till the 12th of July the national cumulative deficit was still recording 43% however, some good rain in the third week of the month, particularly in Central and East India helped in narrowing down the deficit. The cumulative deficit for the month of July was 10%, a good decrease from the 43% observed in the month of June.

Let’s take a look at the two scanty sub-divisions.

Marathwada sub-division

During the month of June entire Maharashtra was scanty, with the Marathwada sub-division topping the list with a deficit of 79%. However, some good rain during the last two weeks of July improved the conditions. While, Vidarbha and Madhya Maharashtra turned normal, Marathwada continued to be deficit by 44%.

Thereafter the deficit has been increasing and is now standing at 60%. On the 3rd and 4th of August it was 61%. From 1st June till date, the region has experienced a meagre 162.2 mm of rain against the average of 405.3 mm.

Punjab sub-division

Since the onset of Monsoon, Punjab has been observing higher rainfall deficits than the country. While the national cumulative deficit in June was 43% Punjab was witnessing 51% rainfall deficit. Till middle of July the deficit in the region had shot up to 65%, but some good rain during the last couple of weeks pulled down the deficit to 59%.

The scenario remained almost same between 5th and 12th August as the rainfall deficit was below 60%. It however rose to 60% on 14th August. Meanwhile, the situation doesn’t look to improve in the coming days and may worsen further.

Rain continues in East & Northeast; double trouble for Bihar

Rain in East IndiaSouthwest Monsoon remains active over East and Northeast India. Meghalaya, Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Assam and Bihar witnessed heavy to very heavy showers in last 24 hours and similar pattern of weather conditions are to prevail at least for next 24 hours.

In Bihar, Patna received 178 mm, Bhagalpur 98.4 mm, Purnia 61 mm and Gaya 42 mm of rain. Very heavy showers have been witnessed along the foothills inclusive of Nepal, increasing threat of flood in Bihar.

Cherrapunji and Shillong in Meghalaya received very heavy rain of 300 mm and 111 mm, respectively. In rest of Northeast, Passighat received 95 mm, North Lakhimpur 82 mm and Dhubri 102 mm of rain.

In a span of 24 hours from 8.30 am on Wednesday, Gorakhpur in east Uttar Pradesh has observed 64 mm of rain.

The Monsoon trough is shifting closer to the foothills with an embedded low level cyclonic circulation over Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh. Consequently, East and Northeast India will continue to receive good showers with heavy in pockets for next 48 hours.

Double trouble for Bihar

Southwest Monsoon began on a weak note over Bihar, with June leaving a rainfall deficit of 32%. July saw some recovery but the deficit was still large at 23% against the national cumulative deficit of 10% for the month. The deficit has been rising by 1% every two days in August and had touched 29% on 11th August.

Deficit rain in June and July caused immense loss to farmers who are highly dependent on Monsoon rain for the sowing of Paddy crops. But now the situation has drastic turn of fate and flood-like situation seems the order of the day.

Rain deficit has reduced marginally to settle at 28% now. In fact the present spell will ease out the situation and could bring down the deficiency to lower-twenties.

 







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