Skymet weather

Monsoon rains to be active over north and central India till the 29th of June

Monsoon rains will once again strengthen and become vigorous over entire north and central India within the next two days and may bring moderate to heavy showers at many places. Heavy rain of up to 40mm is expected over Uttarakhand in the next three days from June 24. Intensity of rain is expected to increase on the 25th and 26th June. Several places in the state could receive heavy to very heavy rain on these two days. There are also chances of landslides at many places.

Similar kind of weather is expected in Himachal Pradesh. Whereas, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab could receive light to moderate rain in some pockets from the 26th till the 29th of June. West Rajasthan may still be hot but south east Rajasthan could also have moderate spells this week.

There are 20 to 30% chances of rain in Delhi tomorrow (below 2mm), but the intensity may increase on Wednesday and Thursday.

“This is temporary. The trough of low will gain strength and will soon subside by the end of this week”, informs a senior weather forecaster at Skymet Weather.

On the other hand, in central India, the system which gave heavy rain over Jharkhand and Orissa in the last couple of hours is moving further inland in the east direction towards Madhya Pradesh, Vidharbha, Maharashtra and south Gujarat.  108.2mm of rain was recorded in Jabalpur in the last 24hours.

Rain will occur in most parts of northeast India and could be heavy in some pockets of Shillong and Agartala. Arunachal will receive light rain.

However, for Peninsular India it will be a lull week initially in terms of rain. Mumbai, in the west coast may receive rain of up to 15mm but it may soon increase to 40mm by mid-week. Konkan could receive heavy rain from 27th of June onwards. Tamil Nadu, Rayalseema and the interiors of south India will have mainly dry weather.

Photo by SkymetWeather.

 

Weather in major airports in India on 25th June 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays – Morning temperature will rise significantly at the Delhi airport and will be 30⁰C. Skies will be cloudy. Winds will be moisture laden easterlies. Humidity levels will be 85% in the morning and 50% in the noon hours.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays – Temperature at the Amritsar airport could hover at 28 and 36⁰C.Skies will be partly cloudy all day and winds will be light and dry northwesterly. Humidity levels will be 84%.

ChaudharyCharan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays – Temperature at Lucknow airport will drop due to a system and settle at 33⁰C. Morning temperature will be 26⁰C. Mainly cloudy skies expected all day will not hamper any flights. Light southeasterly winds will blow at a speed of 20kmph.

LalBahadurShashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays – Dry weather is expected at Varanasi airport today. Morning temperature will be 28⁰C. Sky will be partly cloudy and easterly winds will prevail. Winds will be light, at a speed of 10 to 15kmph.

LokNayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No chances of delay at the Patna Airport. Weather will be hot and humid. Maximum and minimum temperatures will be 36 and 26⁰C. Humidity will be 87%. Skies will be partly cloudy and the sun may appear in the afternoon. Winds will be easterly.

NetajiSubash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
Slight delays expected. Moderate rain and thunder storms may delay flight landings. Rain may occur in the morning. Humidity levels will be above 90% at the Kolkata airport and winds will blow from the southeasterly direction. Wind speed will not exceed 15kmph.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – It will be a cool windy morning at the Bangalore airport. Westerly winds will blow at a speed of 25 to 40kmph. Skies will be mostly cloudy all day and the morning temperature may not change from 20⁰C. Humidity levels will be 90% in the morning and 55% towards the afternoon.

More rains expected in Uttarakhand in next three days

Amid rescue operations, a second spell of rain is expected in Uttarakhand. Weather models at Skymet predict thunder showers across the state on 24th of June.  Heavy rain is also expected at one or two places over Champawat, Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Chamoli Districts.

Intensity of rain is expected to increase on the 25th and 26th June. Several places in the state could receive heavy to very heavy rain on these two days. There are also chances of landslides at many places.

Alarmed by the predictions, salvaging operations have been stepped up in the state. The paramilitary forces and army have been working round the clock to evacuate people stuck in flood-hit areas. The army has increased its deployment of rescuers from 500 personnel on the first day to more than 6000 by Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Air Force has increased the number of sorties and is trying to evacuate more people. The Army Aviation unit has carried out 115 helicopter sorties till now.

Besides the Army and the Air Force, personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Disaster Relief Force and BRO have been engaged in search, rescue and relief efforts. They too have stepped up rescue operations keeping weather predictions in mind.

The Navy too is not behind and has joined relief operations. It has deployed 45 divers for rescuing people stuck in deep waters.

Photo by indianexpress.

Replace your boring black umbrellas with designer ones

Monsoon is upon us and there is no point being stuck outside in the monsoon showers without an umbrella!  The only problem with umbrellas is that sometimes they can be completely boring and unfashionable. However, they do not have to be. Quit the boring black umbrellas and try something designer this monsoon.

Designer Umbrellas - Colorful umbrellas created by Santosh and Nikhil from India-based ‘Black Balloons’ are the most unique umbrellas you would find. Plain white umbrella are transformed into a colorful and fun umbrella. Each umbrella is done in creative graphic designs with subjects ranging from modern comic book, art, or vintage Bollywood posters of star Rajnikant and Gulshan Grover. http://www.facebook.com/BlackBalloons.in

Wind Proof Umbrellas - Windproof umbrella features an aerodynamic vent in the lower canopy, allowing wind to pass through so that the umbrella is able to keeps its shape. The umbrella's seams are backed to help prevent leaking if the canopy is extended by wind. Researchers have developed a new 'storm-proof' unflappable umbrella, called the ‘Stenz Umbrella’ which can withstand storms blowing at a speed of 113 Kph. http://www.dailyobjects.com/korjo-um-52-windproof-umbrella-black

Paper Umbrellas–Made of paper? Not literally! Paper Umbrellas, as thin and light as paper, originated from China and are believed to be the first waterproof umbrella that would protect people both from rain as well as from sunlight. Weather Junction creates a durable range of Paper Umbrellas (customized colorful umbrellas) which are completely waterproof and provide total comfort. These umbrellas are highly durable, water resistant and can withstand extreme weather conditions. Now don’t we always say, be weather wise! http://www.umbrella-canopies.com/paper-umbrella.html

Eco Friendly/Biodegradable Umbrellas- Umbrellas by BRELLI are fashionable eco friendly umbrellas that are handcrafted in Thailand with renewable and biodegradable bamboo, cotton, and PVC. Its most unique feature: It provides 99% UVA/UVB/UVC protection. Therefore it will protect you from the sun and the rains and will guard you from the harmful UV rays which could cause a tan. If that’s not enough, these environmental friendly bamboo umbrellas would also save you on a windy day when the wind speed may reach up to 40kmph. http://www.umbrellasandbeyond.com/brelli

Don’t let the rain get to you..it isn’t so difficult to look stylish when the heavens open!!

Weather in major airports in India on 22th June 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays – Temperature will maintain at 41⁰C at the Delhi airport. Skies will be mainly clear today. Winds will be westerly. Humidity levels will be 80% in the morning and 50% in the noon hours.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays – Temperature at Amritsar airport on Saturday will settle at 42⁰C. Sky will be partly cloudy and winds will blow from west. Humidity levels will be high, at 80%, during the evening and morning hours.

ChaudharyCharan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays – Temperature at Lucknow airport will rise and settle at 39⁰C. Mainly clear skies expected all day. Light westerly winds will not hamper any flights. Morning hours will be humid and a bit warm.

LalBahadurShashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays – No rain is expected at Varanasi airport today. Temperature will rise and touch 40⁰C. Sky will be partly cloudy and westerly winds will prevail. Winds will be light, at a speed of 5 to 10kmph.

LokNayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
Chances of a delay at Patna airport in case there is a convective cloud development. Rain/thundershowers may therefore delay the landing of flights. Wind speed will be up to 50kmph and may only be temporary. Morning temperature will remain 1 degree below normal. Skies will be partly cloudy today.

NetajiSubash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays expected. Delay may occur only in case of a convective cloud development. Moderate rain and thunder storms are expected at the Kolkata airport today and skies will mainly be cloudy and become overcast at times. Humid Southeasterly winds will keep the humidity levels high at 91%.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – Morning temperature may not change at Bangalore airport today. Very light rain is expected during late evening or at night. Sky will be generally cloudy all day. Wind direction will be strong today, at a speed of 32kmph.

Monsoon rains likely to decrease over entire country for the next 48hrs

Monsoon rain may decrease in intensity in the entire country in the next 48hrs, suggests weather models at Skymet Weather. The monsoon surge looks to have weakened all across India and no fresh system seems to be approaching.

“A western disturbance will approach the hills on the 24th of this month but its effects in north India may start showing only by the 26th of June”, tells Mahesh Palawat, head of the forecasting team at Skymet weather.

In north India, the monsoon fury over Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is over. Only 12mm of rainfall has been recorded in Dehradun from the 17th of June and there has been no rain in Shimla and Nainital. Weather will be dry till the 27th of June. Moderate rain of up to 30mm may add to monsoon woes in the already devastated state of Uttarakhand on the 28th of June.

However, Jammu and Kashmir may have rainy weather on the 26th. Rajasthan will continue to be dry, with no chances of rain. Temperature is expected to be 40⁰C. Delhi/NCR may also have a hot and dry weekend and rain/thunderstorms may occur on the 27th of June. Delhi and Haryana have received 52.4mm of excess rain so far, as opposed to normal rain of 20.4mm.

Rain has been light to very light over almost entire northeast India this season; therefore it is currently reeling under a serious rain deficit of above 60% in most places. Arunachal Pradesh is facing a deficit of up to 75%. Arunachal Pradesh received below 5mm of rain in the last 24hours whereas upper Assam received only 17mm of rain. There are chances of moderate rain at many places but it may fail to cover up the current rain deficit. There is little chance of spot rainfall. Imphal received 46mm of spot rain on the night of 20th June.

In east India, heavy rains will now decrease and become light to moderate in pockets of Odisha and West Bengal as the trough is now oscillating from the foothills of U.P and Bihar towards the south. Bhuvaneshwar recorded 70mm of rain which may reduce now and come down to 30 to 35mm. Kolkata could also receive moderate showers tomorrow and day after. West Bengal and Sikkim are currently facing a deficit of rain by about 7% and 34% respectively.

Monsoon is less active over central India as well. Madhya Pradesh will now witness only light to very light rain for the next two days, though parts of east M.P could have spot rain. Gujarat will mainly be dry. Rain may occur only in some pockets of Surat.

The interiors of south India will be dry till Sunday. Bangalore may have little or no rain. Monsoon will decrease further over the entire west coast of India. Heavy rain may occur only from the 24th of June onwards. Rayalseema and north coastal Andhra Pradesh will have scanty rain. Rain below 5mm is a chance at Chennai and Hyderabad over the weekend.

Lastly, temperatures will rise in most parts of India, both today and tomorrow due to decreased or no monsoon rain.

Photo by Ritika Acharya.

Thousands still stranded in Uttarakhand

Rescue and relief operations have been stepped up on a large scale in Uttarakhand as multiple agencies evacuated the worst-affected pilgrimage centre of kedarnath and its adjoining areas. Almost everyone has been rescued from the holy town.  The focus will now move to Gaurikund and Ram Bara where more than 5,000 people are believed to be trapped in this narrow valley.

So far 30,000 people have been rescued, but over 50,000 are still stranded at various places. Also, over 13, 000 people including pilgrims are feared to be missing. The official death toll stands at 207 which could run into several hundreds.

Another challenge confronting the army is to rescue over 7,000 people trapped in Badrinath as a major portion of the road leading to the temple town has been washed away. Meanwhile, 3,000 people have been trapped on way to Hemkund Sahib.

Army, Air Force, NDRF, the Sashastra Sena Bal and Uttarakhand government are working round the clock to evacuate stranded people.

Army has deployed 8,000 soldiers, including medical teams, engineer task forces and signal detachment. 3,000 personnel of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are also pressed into action. IAF has deployed 20 Mi-17s and 16 Advanced Light Helicopters in the state to help in rescue operations.

Mercury rises in entire north India, Delhi may touch 40⁰C

Just as predicted, monsoon in Delhi has taken a long break and temperatures have risen sharply in the last 48 hours. From 31⁰C on 17th June, the maximum temperature rose to 36⁰C yesterday. Whereas today, the maximum temperature in the capital is expected to touch 38⁰C. “Due to absence of any system in north India and the direct flow of hot and dry northwesterly winds, the mercury in Delhi may touch 40⁰C day after tomorrow”, says Mahesh Palawat, weather forecaster at Skymet Weather.

But Delhi is not facing this hot weather alone. Monsoon may have entered Rajasthan but the state is soaring at above 40 degrees. Bikaner in west Rajasthan recorded 42⁰C yesterday and there may be no change in the temperatures for days to come. Chances are it may go beyond 42⁰C tomorrow.

Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh will face similar conditions as temperatures will be in the rising trend here as well. Maximum temperature may rise by 2 to 3 degrees and settle between 38 to 40⁰C in the next two days.

In the hills, as the monsoon fury is over and the rains have become close to nil in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, temperatures have risen marginally and may rise further by 1 to 2 degrees. However, the weather in Uttarakhand may continue to remain cool and pleasant.

The hot and dry northwesterly winds from the north may penetrate up to central India and Gujarat raising the temperatures there but since light rain is continuing every day, it may not make the days hot.

A trough of low, currently present at the foothills of U.P and Bihar, may soon travel to Haryana and Delhi. This may change the winds to humid easterlies, dropping the maximum and minimum temperatures once again after 48 to 72hrs.

“We are not expecting rain in Delhi and north India before the 25th or the 26th of June. Light to moderate rain is expected afterwards. Till then the weather will be mainly dry and hot in entire north and northwest India”, says Palawat.

Photo by Ritika Acharya.

Death toll in Uttarakhand floods crosses 150, rescue efforts intensify

The death toll in massive destruction caused by floods in Uttarakhand has risen to 150. This number is expected to rise further when rescue teams manage to reach more devastated sites. Over 65, 000 people are still stranded at various places and are waiting to be rescued.

Meanwhile, air rescue operation in Kedarnath that was halted for a brief period on Thursday due to bad weather has begun. The holy town which was the epicenter of the tragedy is a picture of gloom. There is destruction all over. Though the century old temple is intact, the shops and dharamshalas around it have been damaged. The entire town is covered in mud and slush.

Indian Air Force’s rescue team is carrying out sorties to evacuate all the pilgrims from kedarnath. According to reports, about 500 people have been rescued today by the air force.

Over 5,000 people are also stranded in Gaurikund- the base camp from where pilgrims begin the 14 kilometre trek to Kedarnath. Another 15,000 are stuck in Badrinath and its close by areas. The entire route to kedarnath has been severely damaged and would remain closed for at least a year.

About 5,500 jawans and officers of the army, 3,000 men of the Border Roads Organisation and 600 ITBP personnel are engaged in relief and rescue efforts. Thirteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force have also been pressed into action. The Air Force has deployed 18 helicopters and C130 aircraft.

So far, more than 10,000 people have been rescued and are being provided food, clothing and shelter. Many persons still remain stranded.

Photo by indianexpress.

Weather of Goa during Sao Joao Festival

“Let the rain kiss you. Let it fall on you with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”

No one loves the rain like the Goans do. As monsoons arrive in Goa around the first week of June, the festival of Sao Joao is celebrated all over to welcome its entry into the state.

Sao Joao is one of the oldest festivals in Goa. The legend goes like this, San Joao or St John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ in the River Jordan and since then locals jump into the well singing ‘Sao Joao’ to signify the joy felt by St. John when he sensed the presence of Jesus Christ.

The monsoons therefore hold great significance in Goa as the locals, the youth mostly, wait for the rains to take a dip in wells and celebrate the event. This year Sao Joao festival will be celebrated on the 24th of June with great pomp and show.  During the carnival various games like the float competition and banging the ‘Pedeas’ with kopel around the head will be organized.

“Rainfall has mainly been heavy in the last few weeks in Goa and Konkan. Though it is weak at present, it may soon gain strength after the 23rd of June. We are expecting up to 60mm of rain in Goa on the 24th. Westerlies from the sea could be strong at 40kmph”, informs Mahesh Palawat, head of the Met team at Skymet Weather.

Unpredictable rains threaten to play spoilsport every year in Goa. In 2006, Goa Tourism Development Corporation therefore hit upon the idea of having artificial showers onboard its river cruise vessel, Santa Monica, to celebrate the annual rural feast of Sao Joao as there was very little rain. But thankfully this year will not be one of those. Last year, Goa witnessed heavy downpour of 86mm on the day of Sao Joao.

The festival’s theme for this year will be ‘Every Drop Counts’. Many will prefer to spend the day in an eco-friendly manner and wear flowery kopels to support the theme.

Heavy showers, strong winds, an overcast sky and excitement in the air will be the mood of weather this Sao Jao.

Photo by Joegoauk20.

 

Rain moves to east India; temperatures start rising in northwest

Rains that battered Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand recently have moved to east India along the foothills of Himalayas. Rain will increase in Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and northeast states during the next two days. Central India will have rainfall at a few places over east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. Temperatures would rise over northwest plains during the next 48 hours.

The cyclonic circulation over Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh has moved eastward and now lies over east Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Rainfall will increase over these places during the next 24 to 48 hours. Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim would be receiving rain at many places during the period. One or two places in the region may be lashed with heavy rain. East Uttar Pradesh will get rain at a few places during the next 24 hours.

Rain is expected to occur at many places in northeast states during the next two days. Moist winds from the Bay of Bengal have once again started harboring in the region. Assam and Meghalaya may witness heavy rainfall at one or two places.

Temperatures in Delhi have remained below average for last few days but they will rise and come close to the average temperature in the next two to three days. Dry winds from west would bring in the heat from Thar Desert. Rain in Delhi is expected from 23rd of June onwards. Similar weather conditions will prevail in other parts of northwest India.

Monsoon will remain active along the West coast during the next two to three days. The off shore seasonal corridor of low pressure runs from Gujarat to Kerala coast. Most of the places in Kerala, coastal Karnataka, Konkan & Goa will have rain during the period. Kerala could receive heavy rain at one or two places.

Weather in major airports in India on 20th June 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays – Temperature will further rise at Delhi airport. Some clouds may appear.  Winds will blow from west. Humidity levels would be in seventies during early morning hours.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays – Temperature at Amritsar airport will rise. Sky will be partly cloudy. Winds will blow from west. Humidity level will remain in sixties during evening and morning hours.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays – Temperature at Lucknow airport will rise. Sky will be partly cloudy. Easterly winds will be witnessed. Morning hours will be humid and a bit warm.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays – Rain is expected at Varanasi airport. Temperature will rise. Sky will be partly cloudy and southwesterly to westerly winds will prevail. Humidity will be high during morning hours

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays – Rain may occur at Patna airport. Temperature will remain below average. Sky will be partly cloudy. Southwesterly winds will prevail.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays – Thunder storms are expected at Kolkata airport under overcast conditions. Southwesterly winds will prevail and temperatures will maintain.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – Temperature will increase at Bangalore airport. Light rain is expected during morning and afternoon hours. Sky will be generally cloudy. Wind direction will be west and southwest.

 

Photograph by Tilemahos Efthimiadis

 







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