Skymet weather

Extended rain spell likely in northwest plains; temperature soars in South India

Northwest plains, especially Rajasthan and adjoining areas will continue to receive rain for the next 48 hours due to a cyclonic circulation over northwest Rajasthan. A west-east trough of low has also formed over the northwest plains which is fetching moisture from the Arabian Sea to bring rain in the region.

Several places in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh recorded rain in the past 24 hours. Ajmer, Churu, Jodhpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan, Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Bhatinda and Patiala in Punjab, Ambala, Bhiwani, Chandigarh and Gurgaon in Haryana experienced rain during this period.

According to the latest weather update, rain will decrease in Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh but will continue in Rajasthan and adjoining areas. The national capital region will remain on the fringes of the weather system currently stationed in northeast Rajasthan. Due to persistent rain and clouds, day temperatures in northwest India are below normal by 5 to 7 notches at several places.

An extended weather forecast by Skymet Meteorology Division in India indicates that with a short break on 16th May, the weather in North India will again become rainy and cloudy from 17th May due to approach of a fresh Western Disturbance.

Day temperatures in east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand in East India are above normal. Some of the places in Bihar and West Bengal also experienced heat wave as maximums were above normal by up to 7 degrees. According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, temperatures settling in the lower forties in the region will sustain as westerly winds will continue to prevail for the next two days.

However, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and almost all the states of Northeast India will continue to get rain due to a trough extending from sub-Himalayan West Bengal to north Odisha across Jharkhand and a cyclonic circulation over Assam.

After being lashed by pre-monsoon rain last week, the weather in South India has turned hot again in the last two days. Day temperatures have risen to their normal at several places in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and with absence of rain, they would remain in the lower forties during the next two days.

In the last 24 hours, Punalur in Kerala and Madurai in Tamil Nadu recorded some rain but the whole region at large will remain mainly dry. Dry and hot winds will continue to keep temperatures high in South India.

Take to fashion trends inspired by air pollution

Fashion is getting bigger and better. Global brands announcing an expansion, a new flagship store, or just brand extension to woo utopian shoppers is a recurring phenomenon these days.

The Shanghai Fashion week, 2014 held in April ended indeed very uniquely, yes with an anti-pollution mask.  The unique gift with black and white geometric patterns was an inspiration of men’s wear brand Blackgateone’s director Hadas Zucker.

It reminded fashion lovers of the nation that fashion aims to capture “l’air du temps” literally meaning “air of the time,” but signifying trends of the time.

Now that this air has become unbreathable worldwide, especially in China and India, how could one sport fashion which exposes us to this air? It is known fact that precaution is better than cure but now that the damage is done, fashion needs to be revamped.  It’s believed that pollution levels in Beijing have now come down to "very unhealthy" from "hazardous," but it still remains one of the biggest challenges of modern day.

As a response to Chinese Airpocalyse, big brands in China have inspired their new collection to equip urban nomads and enable them to survive pollution in the country. These included traditional draped coats and sleeveless tunics of Asian knights. The artistic designer Li Dengting’s fashion silhouettes reminded us of ancient peddlers in traditional Chinese paintings.

Climate change has definitely inspired fashion in India but it is time for our designers to think of battling air pollution, considering the recent World Health Organisation’s report on air pollution across the globe. According to the report, thirteen of the dirtiest 20 cities are from India with New Delhi, Patna, Gwalior and Raipur in the top four positions.

Since the report also says that the air in Delhi is dirtiest in the world, it is time to mould fashion in a momentous way to beat air pollution. Fashion landscape is becoming increasingly competitive and Indian designers have never lacked behind, neither will they ever!

picture courtesy- Forbes, Jerome Matthew

Rain starved Madurai receives excess pre-monsoon rain

The rain starved city of interior Tamil Nadu, Madurai has received excess pre-monsoon rain this May. And according to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, this arid city is likely to receive more rain in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Good showers in Madurai in the last two days came as succor to the locals who have seen the mercury had touched a simmering 37⁰C. The rain on Tuesday lasted for more than an hour which is likely to recharge ground water table that had been going alarmingly dry.

Madurai on Tuesday recorded 13.3 mm of rain, while on Monday it was 24 mm. Till now the city has received approximately 116 mm of rain, which is way above the normal average of 73.6 mm for the month of May.

“Rain in Tamil Nadu is occurring post the low pressure system in South India, as a result of discontinuity line which is running across the state. Madurai receiving excess rain is not a very common phenomenon. The city receives excess rain once in every 5 to 6 years only. The last time it observed more than 100 mm of rain, was in 2009” said, G.P Sharma of Skymet meteorology Division in India.

A long and intense shower on Monday evening was far from sufficient to solve the water crisis in Madurai. Fortunately, the city is receiving showers in the last few days and people are keen to collect as much rain water as possible.

The fear of a water crisis had started running deep in the minds of people and officials were hoping to complete the digging of borewells to tap ground water. Till the first few days of May the water level in Vaigai dam, the primary source of drinking water to the city, stood at 21.62 feet against the full capacity of 71 ft.

Experts claim, though rains have fallen, there has hardly been an increase into Vaigai reservoir. Experts therefore claim, rains would not help much in terms of filling water bodies, it would just diffuse the water crisis to some extent by way of recharging ground water.

The Madurai district was supposed to receive 78.5 mm rain in March and April. But, the actual rainfall recorded was only 3.9 mm in the period accounting for a deficit of 95%. However, the situation changed in May when the low pressure system brought good amounts of rain to entire Tamil Nadu. Records show, till 7th May Madurai had received 79 mm of rain which was 465% above the normal average.

Madurai is the place to visit during summer as the famed Meenakshi Temple hosts the Chithirai festival. But the water crisis, prevalent till couple of days back had dissuaded many visitors.

More rain in Delhi expected, mercury levels to remain below normal

The pleasant weather in Delhi is likely to prevail as more rain has been forecast for next 24 hours in the city. According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, after the Safdarjung and Palam Observatory recorded 3.6 mm and 9.8 mm of rain respectively on Tuesday, there are chances of more rain in the city today evening, which could spill over to Thursday morning.

Rain and clouds on Monday further pulled down the maximum temperature in Delhi, which settled at 30.6°C on Tuesday, nine notches below normal.This is the second lowest maximum recorded in last one decade after 25.2°C recorded on 22nd May, 2008. According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, day temperatures in Delhi will not see any significant rise as westerly to northwesterly winds that will resume after the clearance of the weather system will not be as hot as they should be due to precipitation in the hills and the plains.

The minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 19°C on Wednesday, making it the third coolest morning experienced in the last ten years during May. The second coolest morning was observed on 13th May, 2014 at 18°C. The coolest morning observed in last one decade was on 1st May, 2004 when the minimum settled at 16.7°C .

After May started on a hot note with day temperatures in Delhi touching early forties, the summer heat in Delhi has been at bay till now, due to frequent cyclonic circulations from the west direction. The circulations associated with Western Disturbances usually change the wind conditions in the region and bring moist winds from the Arabian Sea and cause precipitation.

Paddy| Thailand government is negotiating to sell between 600000 to 800000 tonnes.

Thailand government is negotiating to sell between 600000 to 800000 tonnes of 5 percent broken white rice toMalaysia, a deal that traders forecast will have to be priced substantially below market rates if it is to be clinched. Thai rice this year fetching rates below Vietnamese prices for first time in two decades.

Wheat| Egyptian wheat imports forecast to be around 10.3 MMT in 2014-15 year.

Egyptian wheat imports forecast to be around 10.3 MMT in 2014-15 year compared to about 10.0 MMT in  the year 2013-14, with the Ministry of Supply and Internal trade’s (MoSIT) General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) projected to import over about 5.7 MMT in 2014-15 year, and the rest to be imported by the private sector.

Sugarcane| Indian sugar production has recorded a 3.45 per cent.

Indian sugar production has recorded a 3.45 per cent decrease at 23.7 million tonnes during the 2013-2014 sugar season (October-September) period ended 30 April 2014. During the same period last year, Indian sugar production was recorded at about 24.6 million tonnes, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said in a public statement.

Maize| United Statescorn futures saw selling pressure in the wake of bearishly perceived United States.

United States corn futures saw selling pressure in the wake of bearishly perceived United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports, said the analysts. In its first projection of 2014-2015 year supply and demand,  USDA estimated aUnited Statescorn carryover of approximate 1.726 billion bushels, which was above trade estimates.

Top ten hottest places in India

According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, South India has started heating up due to decrease in rain. After Rentachintala three more places from Adhara Pradesh have made it to the list of top ten hottest places in India as on Monday. Heat wave like conditions are also being observed in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand where day temperatures rose further on Monday.

Places State Maximum temperature on Thursday Forecast trend for next 24 hours
Rentachintala Andhra Pradesh 44.3°C Same
Bankura West Bengal 43.9°C Same
Panagarh West Bengal 43.6°C Drop
Bhubaneswar Bihar 43.2°C Drop
Orai Uttar Pradesh 43°C Same
Jamshedpur Jharkhand 43°C Same
Tirupati Andhra Pradesh 43°C Same
Asansol West Bengal 43°C Same
Ongole Andhra Pradesh 42.6°C Drop
Nellore Andhra Pradesh 42.5°C Drop

 

 

Photograph by Matteo

 

Weather forecast for major Indian cities on Wednesday

According to the latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, the weather in Delhi will be rainy and cloudy for the next 24 hours. Below normal temperatures will keep the weather pleasant. The weather in Mumbai will be partly cloudy with a very warm afternoon. But evening and morning hours will be a lot better due to sea breeze. In the East, Kolkata has once again started to heat up and will be one of the hottest city in the country. In South India, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore will turn hotter due to absence of rain. The following table is forecast for major Indian cities on Wednesday.

Cities Maximum Temperature Minimum Temperature Conditions
Delhi 33°C 20°C Morning will be pleasant. Rain/thundershowers may occur in parts of Delhi.
Mumbai 34°C 27°C Morning hours will be comfortable while evening will be breezy. Sky will remain clear and sunny.
Kolkata 41°C 28°C An uneasy day. A spell of rain/thunderstorms in some parts of the city. Sky will be partly cloudy.
Chennai 39°C 29°C Hot and dry weather expected under partly cloudy sky.
Bangalore 35°C 22°C Morning will be pleasant but day will be very warm. Sky will remain partly cloudy.
Hyderabad 39°C 27°C A hot afternoon amid rising temperatures. Partly cloudy sky.

 

 

Photograph by Jasvipul Chawla

 







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