Skymet weather

Weather in major airports in India on 16th May 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays – Temperature surge will continue in Delhi under a mainly clear sky. Northeasterly winds will be observed. Afternoon hours will be windy.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays – Amritsar airport will have mainly clear skies. Hot day conditions will be witnessed with winds blowing from northwest. Winds speed (10 kmph) will be higher during the afternoon hours.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays – Clear sky conditions are expected in Lucknow airport. Temperatures rise will continue. Winds would blow from west.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays – Mainly clear sky is expected to continue over Varanasi airport. Day temperature will rise but night temperature will remain stable. Westerly hot and dry winds will continue.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays – Patna airport has chances of thunder development tomorrow. Sky remains partly cloudy. Easterly winds will continue in Patna.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays – Weather in Kolkata airport will be very warm and humid under a partly cloudy sky. Marginal fall in day temperature expected. Southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal will continue.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – Cloudy weather with chances of light rain is expected in Bangalore airport. Day Temperature will rise by 3 degrees. Winds will come in from west and blow at 15 to 20 kmph during the afternoon hours.

 

Photograph by Rameshng

Cyclone Mahasen is set to hit Bangladesh; northeast likely to be affected Friday

Situated at some 450 km away from Orissa's Paradip coast and moving in a northeast direction, cyclone Mahasen is expected to hit Chittgong in Bangladesh anytime tomorrow, on the 16th of May. Cyclone has not intensified in the last 24 hours but would hit with a wind speed of 80 to 90 kmph to bring heavy to very heavy rain, high tidal waves (5 to 10 ft), flash flooding in the area of landing and neighborhood.

In the next 24 hours while moving northeasterly, the cyclone will keep India's coast near Orissa and Gangetic West Bengal (Kolkata) under its influence. Cloudy weather conditions with light to moderate rain and strong winds would be observed during the next 24 hours. Fishermen have been advised to be remain vigilant while venturing into sea.  The weather will come clear once this weather system moves away to finally affect Bangladesh and Myanmar on 16th of May and  northeast India on 17th of May.

Northeast India is expected to witness the effect of cyclone Mahasen on Friday, 17th of May where heavy rain is expected in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Light to moderate rain will occur at almost all the places in the region for next two to three days. Temperatures will remain below average in this region during the period.

Away from the Bay of Bengal, weather remains dry and hot in north and northwest India. Rain is not expected and northwesterly to westerly winds would increase the temperatures in coming few days. Temperature in Delhi will further surge on the next two days. Very hot conditions are expected then on for next two days.

Central India has a corridor of low pressure area from west Madhya Pradesh to Tamil Nadu across Marathwada and interior Andhra Pradesh. Marathwada, Vidarbha, Madhya Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh could get rain at one or two places during the next two days. South Peninsula will also have rain at one or two place in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Ten tremors in last 15 days, 4 in the last 24 hrs, an indication for major earthquake in J&K...!

The residents of Kishtwar and Bhadarwah in Jammu & Kashmir and that of its border with Himachal Pradesh are constantly living in fear of a major earthquake after witnessing four consecutive tremors in the last 24 hours. The latest tremor of 3.8 magnitude was felt early morning at around 2:30 am. Earlier three incidents of shock-waves were witnessed yesterday, on 14th of May in Jammu & Kashmir with the highest intensity of 4.8 magnitude over Kishtwar, Doda district.

The other six such earthquakes occurred from 1st to 5th of May. Two among these were of medium intensity and witnessed in Jammu & Kashmir border with Himachal Pradesh. The rest three other low strength tremors occurred in Kishtwar and Bhadarwah in Jammu & Kashmir.

Sitting in the lap of Himalayas, these regions are prone to frequent seismic activities as sub-continental Indian plates push against the Asian plates that jolt the land. These regions have witnessed major earthquakes in the past as well with one in October 2005 when more than a lakh were killed in both Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Indian Kashmir due to a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

 

Photograph by NordNordWest

Go grab a summer spa!

With its sunny weather, carefree attitude and bright, bare-all wardrobe, summer truly is the season to be seen. No hiding beneath layers, summer is the time to flaunt your skin and put your best face forward. And what better way to show off your skin than with a rejuvenating trip to the spa? And fortunately, many spas offer special body treatments designed in the summer to give you that perfect body and skin to flaunt. Here goes a list of some rejuvenating summer treatments to mend your parched skin and callused soles:

1) Chocolate and strawberry wrap – Well this might sound like a heavy winter spa but you will be surprised to know it isn’t. This is one of the best summer cooler packages which will leave you in a state of bliss. Not many know, chocolate wax or a chocolate spa is one the best ways to remove tan and get a glowing and shiny skin. Just don’t eat this chocolate!

2) Mango orange wrap – If your summer is incomplete without mangoes, you have to try this one. This mango and orange delicious texture wrap repairs the skin giving benefits of butter, beeswax and honey while the trace elements mineralize the skin. This real body balm can leave the driest skins with a velvety texture and a satin finish.

3) Vitamin C facial - Do your pores need a pick-me-up? Try the Vitamin C Facial spa.. this one is always available in the summers at most spas. This facial is geared towards skin that is stressed-out from daily exposure to pollution, smoke and make-up. The treatment includes all the exfoliation and extractions of a standard facial, but finishes with natural vegetable peel made with Vitamin C, ginseng and green tea—ingredients that will help improve your skin's radiance and texture.

4)  Deep cleansing spa - Dead skin and sunscreen residue can clog pores, and nothing’s worse than an unexpected case of acne just before you’re supposed to wear a slinky skin-baring dress. This deep-cleaning facial for your back opens pores, exfoliates, and removes blackheads to reveal perfectly smooth, sexy skin. Even if skin isn’t burned, the sun still depletes moisture, leaving it tight, itchy, and uncomfortable. This hydrating treatment uses marine extracts and aloe to refresh skin and seal in moisture.

All these above mentioned spas are easily available at major spas in all metros and also at the most recognized and preferred spa resorts at all travel destinations in India. Among them, the favorites are Ananda at Rishikesh, Kaya Kalp at Agra, Taj Lake Palace Jiva at Udaipur, Wildflower Hall Spa, Shimla and Sereno Spa at Goa. So next time you are travelling to witness the beauty of India’s rich history, try out these summer spas to shed your ‘summer stress’ and tanned skin!

Cheap ways to keep your house cool this summer

The intensity of the summer heat can turn just about any home into a sweltering place of sufferance, but by using a few cheap ways to make your home cooler a homeowner can maintain comfort in the worst of circumstances. Most among us rely heavily on cranking the air conditioning to a higher setting as the outside temperature rises, when often all that is necessary to make your home cooler is the implementation of a few sound preventative measures. Not only do cheap ways to make your home cooler save money on utility bills, but these changes can help a lot in the struggling environment.

Fix cheap bamboo chicks - If your west-facing kitchen reaches temperatures of above 35 degree Celsius during the summer and even higher while cooking dinner or baking a cake, you can simply prevent the sun's heat from getting inside the kitchen by just hanging cheap bamboo blinds on the outside of the window to keep the kitchen temperature cool. Cheap faux bamboo blinds start at Rs500 and go up to Rs4000. But the best part is that bamboo blinds or chicks last for really long and block the heat to large extent. No wonder these chicks, the oldest means to keep the house cool still remain a favoured choice of many. Chicks are now available in various colours and designs to suit your needs and the décor of your house. Indiamart offers info on a lot of dealers who can customize your needs and price range.

Keep the draperies closed - As tempting as it may be to let the sunlight enter your home, all that sunshine can raise internal temperatures by about 5 to 10 degrees Celsius.  Another cheap way to keep your home cool is to close the draperies on windows that are in direct sun, opening them only after the sun has shifted off the glass panes. If you have mini blinds, tilting the blinds to refract the light outside will keep a room much cooler than tilting the blinds the opposite direction. And as dark and dull as it may sound, hang thick, dark curtains during summers, especially in rooms which receive direct sunlight all day as it can help your room stay less hot. Bright, fancy and light colored, transparent curtains and shades may attract you a lot, but remember they will make your already hot room into a furnace.

No cooking or baking at noon – No we are not asking you to starve yourself and skip your lunch but just avoid cooking in the noon hours when the sun is very harsh. Kitchen appliances such as stoves, range tops, and dishwashers will also heat up your kitchen by 10 degrees or more. Therefore to prevent heat from entering your kitchen, allow your microwaves and ovens and heaters to rest. These appliances produce a lot of heat and do not cool down easily. So whatever cooking you have to do, make sure you do it in the morning so even you can relax and pamper yourself. Also, keep the evening meals cool, i.e. a great summer salad, a fruit shake or some grilled vegetables which do not require heating.

Use fans in the morning -  If you don't have a whole house fan (most popular in the west) to cool your home, a cheaper alternative is to open the windows in the morning and use box fans to draw the cool air indoors and stale air outside. Usha box fans are easily available online, or at any store with Rs1800. They are small cheap and efficient and draw the stale air out quite rapidly. So if the start of your day is fresh, the rest of day will definitely end on a cool note. This way you would use your coolers and ACs only when the sun outside is harsh and not right from the morning.

Photo by Sanny.

Change your engine oil this summer

The summer driving season is expensive both because more families take long trips and gas prices are the highest. Oil is subjected to more misinformation, controversy, out-of-date knowledge, and myth than just about any other aspect of car maintenance. Therefore using the right oil is an essential part of keeping your engine healthy and that is why regular oil changes are essential to getting the most life out of your vehicle.  That being said, you don’t want to have to spend more on oil changes in the summer if you don’t have to.

Some believe that changing oil weight for summer or winter months is a part of proper maintenance. Old conventional oil formulations had only one viscosity, and oil would thin out as it was heated. In winter months this caused trouble because the oil would turn to molasses and the pumps couldn't lube the engine properly. To combat this, a lightweight oil such as 10-weight was used for cold weather, so it would flow, while heavier 30- or 40-weight oils were best in summer months to prevent the oil from breaking down in the heat. Though in the recent years, the problem has been solved with multiviscosity oil, an oil that flows better when cold, then thickens and protects better when it's hot.

That’s what has been preached to us over the years – 4,828 kms per oil change!  Some experts strongly suggest you would waste your money if you follow this advice. It’s always a good idea to follow the recommendations of your owner’s manual. Most owners’ manuals specify six months and between 8,000 km, to 11,000 km per change, a little sooner if you drive under “severe conditions”. All bottled oils come with additive packages already included from the refinery.  These additives help to neutralize the acids that build up during use and disperse harmful particles to keep them from scratching metal surfaces.  Most of these additive packages are used up within the first 500 to 1,000 miles of use. Beyond that, it’s just a matter of how long you allow the acids and particles to accumulate in the oil before changing it. For all intents and purposes, there’s hardly any difference between your engine oil at 4,000 km and at 8,000km.  So don’t waste time and money changing the oil after a few hundred kilometers.  Just feel confident in sticking to your owner’s manual recommendations.

Use a high-quality filter to keep the oil cleaner longer and always try to use high-quality oil. Synthetic oil is recommended for longer engine life and better performance. Synthetics are really just natural oil refined to a much higher degree, with more complex additive packages for improving performance in both everyday and extreme conditions. Many sports cars come filled with synthetic to offer the best possible protection. But if you want to better protect your engine over the long term, especially against extreme abuse like towing or constant stop-and-go traffic, synthetic might be for you.

Although these could be bold claims, they might be worth considering when choosing oil, but we can't remember the last time an engine failed on conventional oil, so going synthetic when you don't have to may be a waste of money and an abuse of your car engine.

 

Ants in your house this summer?

The summer months can often mean an influx of unwelcome guests that come crawling in through the odd crack in the ceiling, the tops of the windows and practically everywhere in the house creating menace. Wondering who they are? Yes, you guessed it right! It’s the ants.

Ants tend to be driven by a desire to find food, so this should alert you to carefully store your food.  Besides, if you're not into chemical sprays which seem to last only for a few hours, or are allergic to them in any way it might be time to try a homemade approach.

Dish liquid and water mix - The most effective way to get rid of ants. Use about two tablespoon diluted in a pint of water and transfer the solution into a spray bottle. Spray near windows, doors and cracks, but don't wipe it away. This apparently destroys the scent trail that alerts more ants to come down. Spraying the solution on roaming ants will also kill them.

Cornmeal- This can be used as a weapon against ants and it is not poisonous to people or animals. Ants eat it and after consuming water, the cornmeal swells inside their digestive organs, killing the ants.

Powder - Chalk or baby powder are two old home remedies for ant protection. Both contain talc powder, which is a natural ant deterrent.  The cornstarch in baby powder is another irritant to ants. You can sprinkle either substances on areas in which your ants are invading.

Vinegar - Vinegar is great for cooking, but did you know that vinegar is a useful cleaning agent and ant repellent, too? Due to its level of acidity, vinegar solutions can kill most bacteria, mold, and germs. Due to its scent, ants avoid vinegar. Thus, cleaning your counter tops, floors, and any other at-risk surfaces can keep your house clean and ant free.

Mint Leaves - Did you know that an ant can carry up to 50 times its own weight? Oh yes, they can totally carry crushed mint leaves too. So when they do and eat it, they easily die out of it.

Vodka - A 3-to-1 ratio of vodka to water, poured into a spray bottle is highly recommended by some. But while you spray this all over your kitchen, the ants will most probably die, the kitchen will smell of vodka, and give your guests quite a wrong impression about you and your habits.

Containers and bowls - Put your food in airtight containers. This also has the added bonus of keeping your food fresh. Also, should bugs that come in egg form in the foodstuffs hatch, they're caught inside the container, making their disposal easy and preventing their spread through the entire kitchen. Add some water to the larger bowl, creating a moat around the pet food that the ants can't easily cross.

Remove the food source - You may find yourself searching for a single piece of fruit under your refrigerator that may have attracted a swarm of ants. Though it may seem tedious, eliminating the food source is a sure-fire way to eliminate the ants. However you decide to handle your ant attacks, do not be discouraged if no remedy works 100% of the time. Ant infestations have less to do with the cleanliness of your home and more to do with the weather. Ants are more prone to invade during rain and drought - it is simply their biology. Thus, whether you use home remedies or heavy duty anti-ant chemicals, sometimes you will just have to wait it out.

Photo by wikiHow

Weather in major airports in India on 15th May 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays – Temperatures will rise above average of 39.5 degrees tomorrow. Sky will remain mainly clear. Northerly to northeasterly winds will be observed in Delhi.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays – Mainly clear sky will be witnessed in Amritsar airport. Day will turn hot tomorrow as the temperature rises. Winds will blow from north.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays – Clear sky conditions are expected in Lucknow airport. Temperature rise will continue. Winds would blow from west.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays – Mainly clear sky is expected to continue over Varanasi airport. Day temperature will fall but night temperature will remain stable. Westerly hot and dry winds will continue.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays – Patna airport has chances of thunder development tomorrow. Sky remains partly cloudy. Easterly winds will continue in Patna.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays – Weather in Kolkata airport will be very warm and humid under a partly cloudy sky. Southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal will continue.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – Rain is expected in Bangalore airport and sky will remain partly cloudy. Temperatures will remain near average. Winds will come in from west.

 

Photograph by Rameshng

Mahasen turns favorable for monsoon in A&N; thunder squalls likely over east & northeast

Tropical cyclone Mahasen has turned weather conditions conducive for the arrival of southwest monsoon in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, country’s farthest outpost in extreme southeast Bay of Bengal during the next two to three days. Cyclone related thunder squalls (rain with strong squally winds) are expected at many places in east and northeast India. South India could also face some of these thunder squalls during the next 24 hours. Dry and hot weather conditions would continue to prevail in north and northwest plains during the period.

The flow of winds over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been southwesterly for last few days and similar wind conditions will be witnessed in coming two to three days while rain will continue during the period too. This rain and wind condition indicates that weather has turned favourable for southwest monsoon in these Islands.

According to Mahesh Palawat, head of forecasting at Skymet Weather, “Continuous rain for five days with wind flow from southwest is what determines the announcement of arrival of monsoon and since it has been raining in Andaman & Nicobar Islands for past few days and more rain is expected in next two to three days under the influence of the cyclone Mahasen with wind flow from southwest, the announcement of arrival of monsoon is on the cards soon”.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands normally receive first monsoon showers between 15th and 20th of May and going by the prevailing weather conditions, monsoon is set to arrive two to three days earlier this year. “ The date for arrival of monsoon in north Andaman is 20th of May and the present conditions indicate that it could get the first monsoon rain by 18th of May hence it’ll arrive two to three days before,'' added Palawat.

Cyclone Mahasen related thunder squalls with convective clouds and strong squally winds could occur first at the southeast coast of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu during the next 24 hours and then in east and northeast thereafter, when the weather system comes closer in the north Bay of Bengal.

Rain will reduce further in Jammu & Kashmir and the weather will remain dry in most of the parts of north, northwest and central India. These regions are set for further rise in temperatures in coming two to three days. Temperatures in Delhi will rise above average of 39.5 degrees during the next two days and gradual rise is possible thereafter in the capital.

Weather in major airports in India on 14th May 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays – Temperatures will rise in Delhi. Sky will be mainly clear with a bright and sunny afternoon. Northerly to northeasterly winds will be observed.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays – Partly cloudy sky will become mainly clear in Amritsar airport. There will be a rise in maximum and minimum temperature tomorrow. Winds will blow from north.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays – The sky in Lucknow airport will be bright and sunny during the day. Both day and night temperature will remain stable. Winds would blow from west.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays – Varanasi airport will have a mainly clear sky. Day temperature will fall but night temperature will remain stable. Westerly hot and dry winds will continue.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays – Patna airport is expected to have a partly cloudy sky. Day temperature will fall and there are chances of thunder development. Easterly winds will continue in Patna.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays – Kolkata airport will observe a very warm and humid weather under a partly cloudy sky tomorrow. Southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal will continue.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – Bangalore airport will have a cloudy sky. Day temperature will rise but morning temperature will remain stable. Winds will come in from west.

 

Photograph by Rameshng

Weather forecast for the week in India 13th- 19th May

The week starts with the weather activity in the Bay of Bengal where a tropical cyclone Mahasen is meandering some 700 km east of Chennai. However the cyclone has reached its western limit and it will not further progress towards India’s east coast. In the coming days, Kolkata in India and northeastern states may see the effect of the cyclone in terms of rain.

North and Northwest India
Here comes a week wherein the day temperatures are expected to hit the mid-forties barrier possibly by the weekend. Delhi will remain hot during the week and will turn very hot towards the end. Rest of northwest India will see a similar temperature trend too. The heating during daytime will also keep the morning temperatures high and for the first time this season, settle into latter twenties after starting the week in low twenties.

North India will see a drop in rainfall activities and it will stop raining in Jammu & Kashmir by Wednesday.  Dry and warm conditions may prevail in Jammu & Kashmir mid-week onwards. Weather may turn warm in the plains of Jammu & Kashmir by the weekend as no Western Disturbance is in sight as of now.

East and northeast
Temperatures in east India over Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh will rise during the first two days while they would fall in east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. East Uttar Pradesh will again have temperatures in mid-forties by the weekend. Rain will continue in the regions of West Bengal and Sikkim until mid-week thereafter a reduction in rainfall will be felt.

By Thursday, northeastern states could experience the effect of cyclone Mahasen as it would’ve hit land near Bangladesh coast by this time. The cyclonic storm will weaken after entering but will give rainfall at many places in the northeast. Till Thursday, a cyclonic circulation over these areas could continue to bring rain at many places. Day temperatures will remain below normal during the weekdays.

Central India
Central India, other than Chhattisgarh and Orissa, will remain dry and rain will be at a chance. Rise in temperatures is expected in central India where temperatures will be approaching mid-forties but they would still remain near average and usual summer days will continue during the week. Weekend in the region would hold the temperature of around 44 degrees in places like Bhopal and Raipur.

South India
Coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are experiencing heat wave-like conditions due to the effect of cyclone Mahasen. The clouds emanating out of the weather system are hovering over these and not letting the heat radiate out of the atmosphere. But after Tuesday, such weather conditions with very hot daytime would recede and temperatures would be back to normal come Wednesday. Rain will continue in the south over Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh during the first three days of the week but reduce significantly thereafter. One or two places would continue to get rain till the weekend.







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