Skymet weather

Tropical cyclone forms in the Bay, won't hit India

The expected tropical cyclonic storm over the southeast Bay of Bengal has been confirmed. It's movement has been tracked by Skymet Weather to be moving in a north-northeast direction to possibly hit Myanmar in days to come.

According to Mahesh Palawat, head of forecasting at Skymet weather, “the international models have confirmed the formation of a tropical cyclone that will move in a north-northeast direction and could bring inclement weather in Myanmar in coming few days.

“After the formation of low pressure in southeast Bay of Bengal, the first of the pre-monsoon season, the weather system was widely tracked in a sense that it could impact east coastal areas of India from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal coast. But going by its (Tropical cyclone) current path, it will not affect east coastal areas in India,” said Palawat.

Weather in major airports in India on 11th May 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays – Partly cloudy sky has come as a relief for the air travelers in the national capital. Similar weather could persist in Delhi tomorrow as well. Day temperature in Delhi will fall. Wind would come from northwest.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays – Partly cloudy sky will prevail in Amritsar airport tomorrow. Rain could occur in Amritsar. Maximum and minimum temperature will not change during the next 24 hours. Winds will blow from northwest.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays – Lucknow airport will remain very hot tomorrow. Sky will be mainly clear and winds will come from west. Night temperature will rise in Lucknow.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays – Mainly clear sky will continue in Varanasi airport. Temperatures both day and night will not chance much. 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 rise but morning temperature will be stable. Easterly winds will continue in Patna.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays – Southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal will continue to make weather in the  'City of Joy' uncomfortable. Partly cloudy sky will be seen in Kolkata but chances of rain are less. Day temperature will be in latter thirties.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – There could be few spells of rain in Bangalore during the next 24 hours. Temperatures during the day and night will remain stable. Winds will be westerly in Bangalore.

 

Photograph by Biswarup Ganguly

Depression likely to form in the Bay in 24 hrs; rain likely in north, east, northeast & south

The low pressure area in the southeast Bay of Bengal could concentrate into a depression during the next 24 hours. Rain is expected to occur in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next two to three days. During the same period, there are chances of rain in northwest plains including capital New Delhi. Rain will continue to occur in east and northeast India as well as south India during the next 48 hours.

The formation of a depression in the Bay of Bengal could take another 24 hours. Gradually, the concentration could become a deep-depression after these 24 hours.  In the last 24 hours, the depression has shifted a bit towards east and that is a significant development for Tamil Nadu and Andhra coast as this movement means that these states would not bear the brunt of this weather system.

A fresh Western Disturbance spells rainfall for Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next two to three days. The Western Disturbance currently lies over north Pakistan with an associated cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan and adjoining west Rajasthan. Under the aegis of this weather system, dust storm/thunder-storm is a possibility in northwest Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi during the next 72 hours.

Rain is expected to continue in east and northeast India owing to a low pressure area that runs from east Uttar Pradesh to Assam. Under its influence, rain will occur at one or two places in Bihar and Jharkhand and at many places over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next two days.
Northeast, which has seen rainy weather for past few days, will continue with such conditions and there are chances of heavy rain at one or two places during the next two to three days.

A similar low pressure area runs from the east Uttar Pradesh to south interior Karnataka across east Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada. Due to this weather system one or two places in Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and a few places in Kerala and south Karnataka could receive rain.

What not to recycle

Environmentalists and experts and tabloids will always guide you on how and what to re-cycle to save mother earth but have you ever heard anyone guide you on what not to re-cycle since it could be dangerous for the planet. Though recycling and composting are two of the most important green practices, there are some materials that are bad for the environment. Remember this list of items to never re-cycle or compost unless very specifically asked to by professionals.

Cooking oil: Smells like food to animal and insect visitors. It can also upset the compost's moisture balance.

Wet paper: In general, recyclers take a pass on paper items that have been exposed to water. The fibers may be damaged, and there are contamination risks.

Tires: Some states require a separate disposal of tires and collect a fee at the point of sale for that purpose. Therefore if you have replaced your old tire and decided to recycle it on your own to not let it go waste, give up the idea! Simply hand it over the company people you bought it from.

Meat products: This includes bones, blood, fish and animal fats. This is another pest magnet.

Milk products: Refrain from composting milk, cheese, yogurt and cream. While they'll certainly degrade, they are attractive to pests as well.

Stubborn garden plants: Dandelions, ivy and kudzu are examples of plants or weeds which will probably regard your compost heap as a great place to grow, rather than decompose.

Napkins and paper towels: Recycling is discouraged because of what they may have absorbed. Consider composting them.

Drinks cartons – Although some manufacturers have begun producing recyclable juice and milk containers, these will be specially marked. The rest are not suitable for any reprocessing.

Walnuts: You might be surprised but walnuts contain Juglone, a natural aromatic compound toxic to some plants. Therefore never compost them.

Batteries: These are generally handled separately from both regular trash and curbside recycling.

So next time you’re on a spree to reduce the curbside trash, do not mistakenly bring back these things to re-cycle or compost. In your half knowledge, you might just be harming the environment rather than saving it!

 

Summer workout useful tips

summer workout tips

Very hot and sunny days are finally here, but after exercising in cooler spring temperatures, hot and humid 40 degree-days can feel overwhelming. Running, biking, hiking, and even walking feel harder in the heat, so here are some tips to help you get through your summer workouts.

Be flexible about when you work out. Get obsessed with checking the weather, and find out when temps are going to be the lowest that day. Sometimes it's early in the morning, and sometimes late in the evening, so you'll need to rearrange your schedule to fit in exercise during the coolest time of day. A plus about morning workouts is many of your neighbours might be watering their lawns, so you can run through their sprinklers to stay even cooler!! Here are some more useful tips:

1) Check the weather forecast before you start your workout. If there's a heat advisory, meaning high temperatures, hot winds (loo-type conditions) and air pollution, you might want to take your workout indoors. These pollutants can damage your lungs. Sun, humidity and pollution levels are most intense during the day, so you're at a greater risk of dehydration, sunburn and heat exhaustion during this time.

2) Take a cold shower before your workout. Might seem a little odd to shower before a workout, but the cold water will cool you down. For women: leave your hair wet and pop it in a bun, so when you head outside water dripping down your face and neck will feel so refreshing. For everyone with short hair: carry a water bottle with you and squeeze a little on top of your head whenever you need a little cooling boost.

3) Drink water all day, not just before or after your workout: Staying hydrated will help prevent some of the symptoms you may experience from exercising in heat such as dizziness, stomach cramps, and headaches. During your run, sip water or lemon juice every 15 to 20 minutes.

4) Wear loose, light-coloured clothes. The lighter colour will help reflect heat, and cotton material will help the evaporation of sweat. You may also want to try specially designed running shirts and shorts. They are often made from material meant to keep you cool. While cotton is comfortable, it doesn’t wick away moisture very well. Choose a loose-fitting polyester/cotton blend instead, or synthetic fibres designed especially for wicking during exercise.

5) The time of day is important. Unless you are training for an event that takes place in the daytime heat, avoid exercising from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's the hottest part of the day. Generally, the early morning is the best time to work out, especially if the day is going to be a scorcher.

6) Apply sunscreen with SPF 15 (or higher) to prevent sunburn—even on cloudy days. Use an oil-free formula that won’t interfere with your body’s ability to cool itself down and select a sweat-proof variety to prevent sunscreen from irritating your eyes. Clothing with tight weaves, sunglasses and a lightweight hat with a brim can also help block the sun’s harmful rays.

7) If you've got a nice cool air-conditioned apartment, now's the time to pull out those workout DVDs you've been waiting to try, or learn how to bring your yoga practice home. You'll be surprised at how convenient it is to work out in the comfort of your living room. And all that air-conditioning feels great once you start working up a sweat! Though we suggest you don’t workout directly in front of your ACs airflow.

8 ) If you've been waiting for the perfect excuse to start incorporating swimming into your fitness regime, summer is the time! Because it's so hot, pool time becomes a must. Check for public pools in your neighbourhood that even offer some water aerobics or pool games. If you live in a modern apartment complex such as these apartments for rent in Macon, make sure you take advantage of the gym and pool facilities to maintain your fitness.

Hot weather isn't the time to take risks. Even healthy people should take it easy in extremely high temperatures and everyone should understand how to exercise safely and effectively at the height of the season. After all, there's no sense in letting some hot weather ruin your holiday mood.. so take it really easy this summer!

Why we have summer vacations

Finally! Summer vacations have begun!  All of you must be looking forward to spending time at some cool holiday destination, pools, beaches, grandparents’ homes or summer camps. Summer vacation is probably the happiest period in a child's life as it lasts for about two months. These vacations generally commence from the first or second of May every year in most countries but have you ever wondered about what the history of summer vacations is? Do you know how and when the concept of summer vacations started in schools?

The amazing fact is that schools used to remain open all year around 200 hundred years back. Urban schools used to have only one break per quarter. The 11-month school year provided immigrant families with a safe place to send their children while they worked.  Moreover, rural schools had long breaks in the spring and fall season to allow their kids to help with the planting and harvesting as most families back then relied on agriculture and farming.

In America, the urban schools in the 1800s also lacked the long summer vacation modern American kids take for granted. Like working families today, new immigrant families needed a safe and affordable place for children to stay while parents worked. In large cities, children of parents who worked in factories, shops, or mills learned English and other subjects during an 11-month school year.

Then came a time when Horace Mann, the great education reformer got worried that over stimulating the minds of children could lead to stress, insanity and mental breakdowns. So in the year 1840, the summer break was created. Though the term ‘summer vacation’ wasn’t discovered or heard by anyone in that era. So this solution made students and teachers happy because they got a big break from studies. Moreover, it made doctors happy because they were concerned about children spreading disease while packed into sweltering classrooms. Parents and experts feel just as strongly that short school years and long summer vacations are essential to growing up.

Though some teachers, principals, parents still believe strongly that a three-month summer vacation hurts children, fragments education, and wastes tax money. Since the early 1900s, school districts around the country have offered a longer school year or a school calendar of multiple short terms interspersed with many short vacations. They feel there is the need to compete internationally.

Most other industrialized nations have longer school years than American schools do and there is fairly strong evidence that more time in school means higher standardized test scores.  Japan has 243 school days in a year, India has 236 and United States has the least number of school days at 180. Makes you wonder who’s the smartest then, doesn’t it?

Pakistan govt. bans ACs and introduces summer dress code

Come 15th of May, employees in government offices in Islamabad, Pakistan will not be able to take comfort in air-conditioners as Pakistan government has banned the use of air-conditioners in government offices and institutions under a move to conserve energy. The government has also introduced a summer dress code for these employees so that they could negate the deprival of air conditioners.

Code includes white or light coloured shirts and trousers or shalwar-kameez with waistcoats.  Government employees will be allowed to come to work in "shoes without laces" or "sandals without socks as a special concession.

Authorities were given seven days to implement the ban. Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso expressed hope that provincial governments, private institutions and the people would cooperate with his government’s efforts for energy conservation. He asked people to adopt energy conservation in their homes and workplaces too which would in turn minimise power cuts.

With rise in temperatures, power outages have increased across Pakistan. Capital Islamabad is facing load shedding up to eight hours while rural areas go without electricity for up to 18 hours a day.

 

Photograph by Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Weather in major airports in India on 10th May 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays – The mainly clear sky may turn partly cloudy by tomorrow evening in Delhi.  Day temperature will rise but night temperature will remain stable. Winds will be northerly to northwesterly in the capital.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays – Clouds will return in Amritsar airport tomorrow. Daytime temperature will rise. Night temperature will also increase. Winds will come from northwest till tomorrow evening.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays – A mainly clear sky will prevail in Lucknow airport. Day temperature will rise but morning temperature will remain unchanged. Winds would blow from northwest and west.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays – Varanasi airport will have a mainly clear sky. Maximum temperature will rise further tomorrow. Minimum temperature will be stable. Westerly winds will blow.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays – Patna airport is expected to have a mainly clear sky tomorrow. Day temperature will rise further. Night temperature will be stable. Easterly winds will continue in Patna.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays – The partly cloudy sky in Kolkata airport will continue. There is no chance of rain in the 'City of Joy'. Daytime will be uneasy with a rise in maximum temperature.  Winds will come from south.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – Bangalore airport will have partly cloudy sky with chances of rain tomorrow. Both day and night temperatures will be stable. Winds will come from west.

 

Photograph Rameshng

Depression likely to form in the Bay; rain expected in north, east and northeast

The low pressure area in the southeast Bay of Bengal may become a depression and then a deep-depression during the next two to three days. Strengthening of the deep-depression would give birth to season's first cyclonic storm that might affect the coastal areas in the east of the country. Rain is expected to make a comeback in the Kashmir valley while it will continue to occur in east, northeast and south during the next two days.

The low pressure area that developed in the last 24 hours may further intensify to become a depression and gradually a deep-depression in another 48 hours. This deep-depression may strengthen itself to produce a cyclonic storm thereafter. Movement of the weather system would only be ascertained if and when it develops fully.

After a brief gap today, rain is expected to return in Jammu & Kashmir tomorrow evening onwards as a fresh Western Disturbance is headed. Rain will gradually increase over Jammu & Kashmir and will also reach Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the next two to three days.

Weather over northwest plains especially that of its northern parts will see isolated rain or thunder showers during this period as a cyclonic circulation associated with the WD is expected to hover over west Rajasthan.

Day temperature in Delhi will continue to remain in lower 40s. Moisture feed due to change in winds from northwesterly to easterly to southeasterly will again bring in discomfort in the national capital tomorrow evening onwards as humidity will increase. Delhi will also see clouds gaining ground thus a partly cloudy sky will be witnessed on Saturday and Sunday. Day temperature might also fall a bit on these two days.

Rain in the east over Bihar and Jharkhand will reduce but will continue over West Bengal and Sikkim during the next two days. Temperatures in Bihar and Jharkhand may again shoot up to 4 degrees during daytime. Rain possibilities continue in northeast India where many places will receive rain during the period.

Rain will reduce over Kerala and Tamil Nadu during the next two days. The wind dis-continuity now runs from Bihar to south Tamil Nadu. There could be spurring in rainfall in these parts under the influence of the possible cyclonic storm in southeast Bay of Bengal.

IPL WEATHER MOHALI, 9th of May

Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Match starts@4pm

Hot weather will prevail in Mohali near Chandigarh during the IPL cricket T20 match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. Temperature will be around 38 degrees at the start of the match at 4pm. It will be down by 4 degrees by the time the match ends but even then it’ll be very warm for a comfortable match presentation ceremony.

Some clouds are expected at the start but they will fade away during the match. The relative humidity level will be in twenties so at least that will be a comfort for both the teams. Mohali pitch is considered to be one of the fastest pitches in the country allowing a lot of bounce but heat during the last few days may have dried it up thus the batsmen will have an advantage.

Bowlers cannot bank on the pitch reputation in the month of May and will have to bowl straight as there will not be much room for error as batsmen can play their shots both straight and horizontal. Slow or spin bowlers could gather more from the wicket than the fast bowlers.

 

Photograph by Ashwin John

 

Photograph by We Fit India

Low-pressure area may intensify into a depression in the Bay of Bengal

The low pressure area that formed over southeast Bay of Bengal may intensify into a depression in the next 48 hours and gradually into a deep-depression. There is probability of formation of a cyclonic storm by 12th of May under the aegis of these weather developments. If the storm develops, it may affect coastal areas of Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh along the east coast. Movement of the weather system is not traceable yet.






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