Skymet weather

Alarming water and air pollution in Delhi prompts a check panel

The World Health Organisation urban air quality database released last week rang an alarming bell on Delhi’s high air pollution levels. This prompted Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung to form a high-power committee to look into pollution levels in the city.

In a public statement, Najeeb Jung expressed his concern over growing pollution levels in the national capital and said that “it is our moral responsibility to provide a healthy environment to our citizens. If we have to ensure health of our cities, we will have to take stern steps against pollution and polluting units."

Air pollution in Delhi

According to the report air in Delhi is dirtiest in the world. It says that the national capital had the highest concentration of PM2.5 (particulate matters less than 2.5 microns), considered to be most serious.

The committee formed by Najeeb Jung will examine all aspects of pollution and its causes including the ever increasing number of vehicles and pollution in the Yamuna River due to industrial and sewage discharges. The committee has been asked to submit a report within a month and take required steps to check pollution. The committee is also expected to devise both long term and short term measures with viable solutions to tackle this serious issue.

Pollution in Yamuna River

The extent of pollution of the Yamuna River is so shocking that it now has a thick layer of foam covering it completely. Yamuna quite often is described as a 'dead river' since pollution in the river has surpassed levels for fish or other marine life to survive.

As per mandate, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee has begun its work and 112 stainless steel picking units in Wazirpur industrial area received notices for illegally discharging untreated toxic wastes into the Yamuna.

Taking cue from the success story of Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad after Narendra Modi took reins of Gujarat, activists and environmentalists are looking up to Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate to clean up Yamuna.

As told to media, Anumita Roychowdhury, head of clean air programme at Centre for Science and Environment believes that Delhi should upgrade the present monitoring system and issue health alerts. An effective public transport strategy by integrating Metro, bus, walking and cycling and increasing the frequency of buses could help to a large extent.

picture courtesy- Daniel Berehulak

Pre-monsoon rain to continue in Central India, remains subdued in South India

Some parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh experienced rain in the last 24 hours due to a cyclonic circulation over southeast Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat. The weather system brought moist winds from the Arabian Sea and mixed with dry northerly winds to cause rain. According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, rain could again occur in Gujarat, east Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh and east Madhya Pradesh in next two days.

Skymet Meteorology Division in India explains that during this time of the year, amid high temperatures, cyclonic circulations pop up across the country wherein mixing of moist and dry winds take place to form convective clouds and bring rain. Even if it does not rain, the presence of moist winds keeps day temperatures under check, bringing reprieve from the scorching summer heat.

A similar cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan could again be responsible for cloudy sky with chances of rain in the capital Jaipur and adjoining areas during the next 24 hours. Rain will remain subdued in other parts of northwest plains which could increase the maximum temperatures. But with a gap on 16th May, a fresh Western Disturbance will bring back rainy weather to the region.

According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, East India, especially Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand will continue to feel heat wave like condition due to uninterrupted westerly winds. Bankura, Asansol, Patna and Bhagalpur in the region will continue to observe above normal temperatures for the next two days.

Meanwhile, conditions were better in Allahabad, Varanasi and Gorakhpur in east Uttar Pradesh as they recorded near normal day temperatures on Wednesday.

Some rain is expected over the hilly areas of West Bengal and Sikkim. Rain will decrease in northeast region over Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura during the next two days.

The weather in South India will continue to remain hot. Day temperatures at some of the places in Andhra Pradesh are among the highest in the country at the moment. Pre-monsoon rain is expected to remain subdued till the next week. However, isolated places in Kerala and south Tamil Nadu coast will continue to receive showers due to wind discontinuity.

Turmeric| Turmeric prices decreased at Erode market on arrivals of poor quality.

Turmeric prices decreased at Erode market on arrivals of poor quality. Only medium quality Turmeric arrived for sale and so traders procured limited stocks only. Arrivals declined due to rain in Erode district and it is expected that high quality Turmeric will arrive for sale from next week onwards. Prices were Rs 6217-7869 per quintal.

Castor| Castor seed production in India is estimated lower.

Castor seed production in India is estimated lower, stockists’ buying is strong and export demand was also strong. Spot prices moved up despite higher arrivals on the back of strong export demand. Castor Seed futures also gained as traders started covering.  At Rajkot mandi, castor seed prices were Rs 745-755 for a maund of 20 kilograms.

Urad Dal| With decline in Black gram or Urad output in India, dependency on imported has increased.

With decline in Black gram or Urad output in India, dependency on imported has increased. However, in the absence of loading of Urad in Myanmar, availability of imported Urad in mandis has declined sharply, leading to rise in prices in domestic markets. At Indore market, Urad (bold) ruled at Rs 5100-5200 per quintal.

Black Pepper| Vietnam, the top Black Pepper producer and main player in the black pepper market.

Vietnam, the top Black Pepper producer and main player in the black pepper market, has been keenly following the Indian exchange. Meanwhile, taking cues from the Indian futures market Vietnamese farmers and collectors are reportedly holding back their Pepper produce. Brazil is following Vietnam’s lead, with limited stocks of pepper.

Top ten hottest places in India

According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, Rentachintala in Andhra Pradesh continues to remain the hottest place in India for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. The westerly winds also reached Odisha to increase the temperatures in Titlagarh, Hirakund and Sambalpur as well as Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Gaya in Bihar also made it to the list of top ten places on Tuesday.

Places State Maximum temperature on Thursday Forecast trend for next 24 hours
Rentachintala Andhra Pradesh 44.3°C Same
Titlagarh Odisha 44°C Drop
Orai Uttar Pradesh 44°C Drop
Bankura West Bengal 43.8°C Drop
Hirakund Odisha 43.6°C Same
Sambalpur Odisha 43.3°C Same
Shanti-Niketan West Bengal 43.3°C Drop
Gaya Bihar 43.2°C Same
Raipur Chhattisgarh 43°C Drop
Chandibali Odisha 43°C Rise

 

 

Photograph by Adam Jones

Monsoon expected to make appearance earlier this season

According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the very vital Monsoon season is expected to make an early onset in India. The Southwest Monsoon is likely to strike Kerala on the 28th of May against its usual onset date of 1st June. Simultaneously it will reach parts of Northeast India on the same day.

On the other hand, Monsoon’s current movement over the Arabian Sea is likely to progress and is expected to reach the commercial capital Mumbai between 7th and 8th June, which is again about two days earlier than its normal date of 10th June.  The eastern branch seems to be staggering during this period.

Between 15th and 18th June another branch of the Monsoon from the Arabian Sea is likely to cover entire western coast and extend further to cover parts of Saurashtra in Gujarat. By this time, the Bay of Bengal branch is going to cover entire Northeast India and parts of West Bengal including Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.

The Southwest Monsoon will make a rapid progression in North India and reach Delhi between 22nd and 24th June, about 5-6 days earlier than its usual date of 29th June.

It is to be noted that onset of Monsoon in any region has hardly got any bearing on its further performance in terms of amount of rainfall.

Monsoon in India  is an eagerly awaited event, especially by the farmers who are highly dependent on Monsoon rain for their crop productivity. Good Monsoon results in good yield which in turn leads to high GDP and flourishing economy.

Southwest Monsoon accounts for 80% of the annual mean rainfall. Thus there is no doubt that Monsoon predictions are very important.

Earlier in April, Skymet Meteorology Division in India had released its Monsoon foreshadow for 2014, where it confirmed the coming Monsoon to be ‘below normal’ at 94% (error margin of ± 4%) of the Long Period Average (LPA) of 896 mm for the four-month period from June to September.

Chitradurga records highest pre-monsoon rain since 1955

Chitradurga lies in the heart of the Vedavati River valley in the southern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. The city got its name from an umbrella-shaped hill called Chitrakaldurga simply meaning a picturesque castle. The city finds mention in the chronicles of the epic Ramayana and the Mahabharata and is famous as the land of valour and chivalry.

This city in Karnataka is geographically diverse and flanked by lofty peaks and boulder-strewn landscape. With an average elevation of around 2500 ft., it is situated approximately 200 km away from the state capital Bengaluru but is way different from it weather-wise.

South India received torrential pre-monsoon rain, accompanied by strong winds, since the beginning of the month triggered by the tropical low pressure area which turned into a well-marked low and weakened after entering the land.

Record rain

The average rain for May in Chitradurga is just 65 mm but this city was one of the several places lashed by unusual heavy rain. In 1955, Chitradurga recorded 259.3 mm of rain in the month of May and this year it has already surpassed this record by receiving 261.2 mm of rain in just first 10 days.

Day Temperatures in Chitradurga remain fairly comfortable and rarely reaches 40°C even in the peak of summer. In May maximums stay comfortable in mid-thirties while the nearby city of Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh often records the highest temperature during summer in India. Nights also remain cool with minimums in low-twenties and frequent pre-monsoon rain brings down the mercury even further.

According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, pre-monsoon rain will continue in South India and Chitradurga could even set an all-time highest rainfall record which would be difficult to break. The monsoon air mass generally enters Chitradurga, in the heart of the Deccan Plateau, within the first week of June.

picture courtesy- Junction India







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