Recently fourteen new species of dancing frogs were discovered in the Western Ghats of peninsular India, covering Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Indian scientists/biologists made this possible after extensive field studies for the last 12 years, under the leadership of University of Delhi professor Sathyabhama Das Biju. But the looming fear is that they could fade away soon.
How frogs dance
These new frog species dance just like Michigan J. Frog, the animated cartoon from One Froggy Evening. Dancing frogs have a very breeding behaviour known as foot-flagging. The male species of these tiny acrobatic amphibians actually kick and stretch their legs to attract mates, earning them their name. This method of attracting potential mates becomes necessary as the female frogs fail to hear courtship croaks amidst the loud noise of rushing streams in the mountains of the Ghats.
The new species of so-called dancing frogs, which have been declining dramatically in number, were identified with the help of molecular DNA markers and morphological characters. These amphibians breed in fast-rushing streams after the yearly monsoon in India. The study, published in the Ceylon Journal of Science, increased the number of known Indian dancing frog species to 24.
Vulnerability of dancing frogs
Prof Biju however, laments that their habitat seems to be becoming increasingly dry, as he told to media that “it’s like a Hollywood movie, both joyful and sad. On the one hand, we have brought these beautiful frogs into public knowledge. But about 80 per cent are outside protected areas, and in some places, it was as if nature itself was crying.”
While tracking the frog populations, biologists found that the forest soils lost moisture and perennial streams mysteriously turned dry. Prof Biju also agreed that his team’s observations were only subjective and the scientists did not collect any data to demonstrate the declining habitat trends.
Dancing frogs of the Indian family, known by the scientific name Micrixalidae, evolved around 85 million years ago and are now found only in the Western Ghats. They breed after stream levels come down as they can be easily swept away in gushing mountain streams. These delicate species are extremely vulnerable to changes in rainfall, water availability and climate change.
A massive environmental protection zone across the Ghats to limit pollution by industries and human activities is the need of the hour.
picture courtesy- S.D. Biju
Maximum temperatures in Delhi and surrounding areas of Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh have been on the lower side compared to the average temperature for the month. But this period is about to be over as day temperatures are expected to touch the 40 degree mark at many places in the next 48 hours. Cool northerly winds coupled with a Western Disturbance over Jammu & Kashmir that brought some rain in the Western Himalayan region has not let temperatures to rise significantly. Delhi recorded 38.3°C as maximum temperature on Monday, while minimum temperature recorded on Tuesday morning was 26°C.
An extended forecast by Skymet Meteorology Division in India says that the northwest plains could be heading for one of the hottest spells of the season. In the last couple of days maximums have been settling in the lower forties and they are expected to sustain for the remaining days of the month. There could be a marginal drop in the maximums during the stay of Western Disturbances over the Western Himalayan region.
In East India, Bihar and Gangetic West Bengal continue to reel under heat wave like conditions as day temperatures in Muzaffarpur was seven degrees above normal, while in Patna it was five degrees above normal. Similarly, Bankura and Kolkata in West Bengal also recorded maximums at five degrees above the normal.
According to the latest weather update, the Gangetic plains over Bihar and West Bengal in East India would continue to remain under the influence of dry westerly winds and day temperatures will remain above normal for the next two days.
However, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim will continue to receive rain due to a cyclonic circulation in the region. Pre-monsoon rain will continue in Northeast India due to a cyclonic circulation over Assam. Another circulation in the Bay of Bengal is again pushing southerly winds towards the region.
Pre-monsoon rain in South India will continue to occur at isolated places across the region due to a trough of low extended from a cyclonic circulation over Vidarbha to Lakshadweep. Under its influence moist winds are colliding with northerly winds to bring rain in the region.
A weather alert issued by Skymet Meteorology Division in India at 10:03 am on Tuesday said that light to moderate rain and thundershowers are likely at a few places in Bagalkot, Belgaum, Dharwad, Haveri and Shimoga districts of Karnataka with strong winds of 40 kmph, gusting at 60 kmph during the next 2 to 6 hours.
Heavy rain of over 40 mm lashed Goa last evening, flooding the streets and causing traffic snarls. It also lead to long power cuts. According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the weather in Goa is expected to be rainy throughout the week, with good amounts of rain expected in the state for next 24 hours.
“Rain is likely to continue in Kerala, Karnataka and Goa due to a trough along the west coast of Peninsular India and a wind discontinuity line (where two air masses merge), near Kerala. While Kerala could receive some heavy showers for the next 48 hours, Goa could witness good amounts of rain for 24 hours. Rain may continue this entire week, but reduce in intensity, becoming scattered in Goa in a day”, says AVM (Retd) G.P Sharma.
Weather in Goa turned cloudy on Sunday, when the capital city Panaji recorded 5 mm of rain. The showers automatically led to a drop of about three degrees in the minimum temperature, bringing it down to 24⁰C on Monday morning. And heavy showers on Monday evening cooled the morning temperature even further, as it recorded five degrees below the normal average on Tuesday morning, at 22⁰C.
Other than Panaji, heavy pre-monsoon showers also lashed Margao, Old Goa and Mormugao. Margao received 28.2 mm, Old Goa 25.6 mm and Mormugao 23.4 mm of rain.
Goa, so far in the month of May has received 81 mm of rain, with 42.2 mm being on 19th May alone. On 9th May also Panaji had received heavy showers of about 30 mm, due to the low pressure system near Sri Lanka, which plummeted the mercury to 22.9⁰C. But after the 10th of May, the weather in the state became dry till the 18th and the minimums rose to 27⁰C.
The normal rainfall figure for Goa for May is 97 mm and this is the first time in five years, when the state is nearing the normal figure. In 2013, Goa had received 72 mm of rain, whereas in 2012 and 2011, the weather in Goa remained extremely dry, with only 1 mm of rain. More rain till the end of this month could possibly surpass the normal rainfall figure.
“It must be remembered that good pre-monsoon rain does not ensure that the monsoon too will be good”, added G.P Sharma.
The official date of the onset of Southwest Monsoon in Goa is 7th of June and according to the Indian Meteorology Department, if all goes well monsoon could arrive in Goa on the declared date.
According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the Southwest Monsoon was supposed to make an early onset in the Andaman Sea, which it did on the 18th of May. The date of arrival of Southwest Monsoon in Kerala has been predicted as 28th May and developments are being closely watched.
Photo by southindiatravel.
According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the Southwest Monsoon has covered the remaining parts of Andaman Sea and some more parts of Southeast Bay of Bengal during the last 24 hours. It is expected that Monsoon will further extend over some more parts of South and Central Bay of Bengal.
Under the influence, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands including capital Port Blair could experience heavy rain during the next two days. The southwesterly winds would be blowing at a speed of 25 to 30 kmph during this period. Port Blair again recorded 20 mm of rain from 8:30 am on Monday to 8:30 am on Tuesday. Day temperature in the city on Monday dropped significantly to record 26°C, five notches below normal. The other weather station Car Nicobar reported 80 mm while Hut Bay recorded 50 mm of rain during the period.
The cyclonic circulation over the Andaman Sea has become a low pressure area and now lies in eastcentral Bay of Bengal with an associated cyclonic circulation up to medium levels. The weather system remains crucial for advancement of monsoon as systems like these expedite and enhance the progress of Southwest Monsoon.
Weathermen at Skymet are of the view that prior to the onset, such weather systems either in the Bay of Bengal or in the Arabian Sea help the cross equatorial flow to strengthen, and thereafter the strong southwesterly winds sweep across Kerala coast, announcing the arrival of Monsoon.
Despite the seasonal fluctuations,India’s Cotton yarn exports are set to meet the target. They are estimated to be at 1350 million kg valued at $4.70 billion for financial year 2014. The country has already exported 1082 million kg of cotton yarn (valued at $3.75 billion) during the first 10 months (April–January) of the fiscal year.
