Skymet weather

Strong cool winds to blow over north, northwest and Gangetic plains; rain in NE, AP, TN and Kerala

Winds would be cool and moderate to strong in north, northwest and Gangetic plains. Gradual rise in day temperatures would be witnessed at these places in the next two to three days. The weather in Delhi would be dry and in spite of temperatures in thirties warmth would not be felt except in peak afternoon hours. Rain is expected to continue at one or two places in northeast and in north Andhra Pradesh, one or two places in interiors of Andhra Pradesh as well as over Tamil Nadu and Kerala during the next 24 hours.

Cool and strong northwesterly winds would blow at around 30 to 40 kmph in the north, northwest and Gangetic plains a couple of days. Pressure gradient is responsible for the strengthening of the winds that would blow in almost the entire country barring northeast and coastal areas on West and East coast where southwesterly winds are dominant at the moment.

The weather in Delhi would be dry and temperatures would rise gradually for next few days. Warmth would be felt once the winds slow down in the next two days as the heating effect will rise under an open sky and proper sunshine. By the start of next week, day temperatures in Delhi will be around 36 degrees.

Westerly to southwesterly winds would be blowing over coastal areas on both flanks of the Peninsular India. Westerly to northwesterly winds are entering from the West coast and taking a southwesterly turn to blow over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and then towards Orissa and Bay of Bengal to northeastern states in a southwest direction.

A trough of low pressure area (region of intensified moist winds) runs from Orissa to Tamil Nadu across Andhra Pradesh and another one extends from Assam to north Bay of Bengal. Northeastern states will have rain at a few places during the next 48 hours while there will be some rain at one or two places in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

4 Worst ever Tsunamis of the world

Tsunamis, as deadly as they are, are difficult to predict and detect because they have a small wave height offshore, and a very long wavelength and it is for this reason they can pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a slight swell usually above the normal sea surface. Here’s a list of some of the worst tsunamis that ever struck the world.

The Sanriku Tsunami - On June 15, 1896, waves as high as 100 feet or 30 meters spawned by an earthquake that struck Honshu, swept the east coast of Japan. And as is often the case, the waves seemed to come from nowhere. "Fishermen twenty miles out to sea didn't notice the wave pass under their boats because it only had a height of about fifteen inches at the time," inform experts and professors from the University of Hawaii. Poor fishermen and the coast villagers were caught totally unprepared at the port of Sanriku. Old reports mention that some 27,000 people died in this killer tsunami.

 

 

Lituya Bay - On the night of July 7, 1958, a magnitude-8.0 or so earthquake struck along the Fairweather Fault, its epicenter just 21 km from Lityua Bay in Alaska. The earthquake caused a large landslide in the bay located within Glacier Bay National Park which triggered one of the largest tsunamis ever recorded in modern times. Waves reached a height of 1,720 feet in the bay, but because the area is relatively isolated and in a unique geologic setting, the tsunami did not cause much damage elsewhere. It sank a single boat, killing two fishermen.

 

 

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami - On Dec. 26, 2004, a colossal earthquake with a magnitude between 9.1 and 9.3 shook Indonesia and killed an estimated 230,000 people in 11 countries across the Indian Ocean. Most died due to the tsunami and the lack of aid afterward, coupled with deviating and unsanitary conditions. The quake was named the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, and the tsunami has become known as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Those waves traveled the globe as far as Nova Scotia and Peru.

 

 

Japan Tsunami - The magnitude-9.0 earthquake that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, was the largest known quake to strike the seismically active country and the world's fourth-largest earthquake in recorded history. While the quake itself was responsible for relatively few deaths, the massive tsunami it generated rapidly inundated coastal areas and took many residents by surprise; the raging waters accounted for the bulk of the deaths in the disaster. Some 20,000 people are still considered missing.

Hopefully, with each tragedy scientists and weathermen can learn more about early detection and warning systems. Never know when Mother Nature strikes again and brings us at her mercy.

How to keep cool during a power cut

It’s common that in India summer makes way for power cuts much to often for comfort! And we are all used to them but power outages are more than just about sitting sulking in the dark. The refrigerator stops running and everything starts to defrost. ACs and fans are the first to shut off in the killing heat. Out comes the flashlight, and you impatiently wait for the power to return which at times doesn’t show face all night.

Our dependence on electrically powered air conditioning has put us in real danger when the temperature soars and the electric grid gets overloaded. High concentration of paved streets and buildings in our cities also create local environments that absorb more heat than normal. Here are some ideas to keep you cool.

Ice - Prepare ahead of time for power outages during the summer's hottest days. Freeze gallons of water in big blocks of ice if you have a large freezer. Refilling plastic water bottles and freezing them works. Blocks of ice can be used to cool you by placing on a thick towel and applying and re-applying on your forehead and armpits. Be extremely cautious not to allow the ice to contact the skin. Place several layers of material between the skin and ice to prevent frostbite and check every few minutes to make sure you are not freezing the tissue. You could chill by dipping your favorite head scarf in cool water and wrapping it around your head.

A cool house - Use an environment altering system of blocking the sun from your windows. Best solutions are to cover the window with aluminum foil and cover inside that with a thick layer of newspaper or hang a blanket to prevent the heat from getting into your apartment or house. Remember that inside deep caves or deep in a subbasement, the temperature will maintain at a pretty steady temperature. So turn your house, or at least a part of your house, into an insulated cave when the temperature outside is 40⁰C and above.

Drink truck-loads - Drink plenty of fluids. You may need as much as two liters every hour if you are working hard and sweating it all out. Replace a part of your fluids with electrolyte balanced sport drinks, glucose and part with plain water. Avoid drinks with sugar or caffeine because these ingredients increase metabolism and generate body heat. Avoid high carbohydrate foods and stick with fresh fruits and vegetables with a minimum of protein. Some experts recommend you drink fluids every 15 to 20 minutes during a power outage on a hot summer day.

Cool temper - Don't keep phoning the power company to find out how long you will remain without power. Once is really enough! Nagging them isn't somehow going to make the power come on any quicker, and can tie up phone lines in a true emergency. Keep some board games like chess, checkers, or puzzles in the house that keep you and kids busy when no video or TV is available. Read a book you always wanted to!

Escape - If this works for you - leave home early and go to an air conditioned place, in an AC bus to an air-conditioned space; a library, mall, supermarket, movie hall, a museum or an art gallery, or a maybe a bar. But, drink water, not alcohol, at the bar!! Even better, shop some literally cool clothes to add to your summer wardrobe.

Weather in major airports in India on 5th of April 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi

No Delays- Sky in Delhi airport will become mainly clear during the next 24 hours. Temperature in Delhi will remain stable. Strong northwesterly cool winds will prevail in Delhi.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar

No Delays- The weather in Amritsar airport will remain clear. Temperatures would remain stable. Strong northwesterly winds will prevail in Amritsar.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow

No Delays- Sky will be mainly clear in Lucknow airport. Moderate northwesterly winds will blow in Lucknow. Day temperature could rise a bit while morning temperature will remain stable.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi

No Delays- Hot conditions during afternoon hours will continue in Varanasi airport. Morning will be cool. There will be no clouds in the sky in Varanasi. Northwesterly winds will prevail.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna

No Delays- Patna airport will also see a hot afternoon. Morning will be a bit warm compared to Varanasi. Sky will be mainly clear and winds will blow from northwest direction.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata

No delays- Kolkata remains the hottest Indian airport where day temperatures are constantly clocking 37 or 38 degrees and morning temperatures are in mid-twenties. Winds are westerly to northwesterly in Kolkata. The sky will be partly cloudy. Thunder development is possible afternoon onwards.

Bangalore Airport

No delays – There are chances of rain or thunder storm in Bangalore. Temperatures will not rise. Sky will be partly cloudy. Southeasterly winds would be observed.

 

Photograph by Rameshng

Dry but pleasant weather in Delhi to continue; rain likely in AP, TN, Kerala and Karnataka

The Western Disturbance over Jammu & Kashmir is moving eastnortheastwards and will make an exit from this region during the next 24 hours. Rain will reduce over north and northwest India and the weather in these parts will become dry, Delhi included.

Maximum temperatures in Delhi and other parts of northwest plains would also start rising gradually after the next 24 hours. Rain is expected in northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, one or two places could receive rain during the next 24 hours. Rain will occur in south Karnataka, south Tamil Nadu and Kerala during the period.

Weather in Delhi will be dry but pleasant as temperatures both day and night would be near normal during the next 24 to 48 hours. The day temperatures would rise gradually thereafter and by the time the next Western Disturbance (which is expected by 9th of April) temperatures could even rise above mid-thirties. So by that time Delhi will be quite warm. However the minimum or night temperatures in Delhi will be near normal thus making the morning and evening hours cool.

Day temperatures in other parts of the country would also rise in coming days and summer conditions could be witnessed especially during the afternoons in northwest plains, Gangetic plains and over central and Peninsular regions. Low minimum temperatures would give respite during morning and evening hours.

The weather in almost the entire country has turned dry except at some places in northeast and in south Peninsula. A trough of low pressure area runs from Assam to north Bay of Bengal. South Tamil Nadu, Kerala and south Karnataka will also have rain at one or two places during the next 24 hours. Andhra Pradesh could have rain with hail at one or two places during the next two days. A trough of low pressure area that runs from west Madhya Pradesh to south Tamil Nadu across interior Maharashtra and Karnataka will give rain in these states.

 

Photograph by Pranav Photostream

Weight gain more likely in the summer than in winter

Most of us associate winter with weight gain and summer with hot summer fashion and curvy bodies. But if you've noticed yourself packing on a few extra kilos recently, you're not alone. Experts say it's quite common to gain weight during the hot summer months. The hot weather is here in full force, leading many of us to blast the air conditioners in our homes, cars and offices. While the extreme summer temperatures of Delhi force us indoors, we create an artificial environment to help us keep our cool until more pleasant temperatures return. Studies therefore suggest that air conditioning may be doing more than keeping us cool; it may be causing us to pack quite a lot of kilos. These are some reasons why the summer might be making you fatter..

Holiday - Summer escapes are a common cause of added weight gain. No, we're not saying you should give up your dream vacation in Laddak or Rajasthan or south India, but we are just suggesting that you take your healthy lifestyle with you on holiday. Take every opportunity to walk, explore and otherwise engage your muscles, and don't view vacation as an excuse to overindulge in foods that will compromise your waistline.

Beverages - Beach bonfire or summer cookout during picnics, refreshing cocktails are bound to be part of the festivities. If you're not careful, though, those sweet, fruity and aerated beverages could add up to thousands of hidden and unsatisfying calories. The worst part, cocktails don't fill you up like food and so you end up having more than one. And they're fattening to boot: A 300ml pina colada will net you 500 calories! Instead, opt for a wine spritzer or a fruity sangria with only 60 calories.

Summer Treats - Summer is the perfect time to indulge in a sweet frozen treat. Who doesn’t love frequent visits to the ice cream parlor to have the mouth watering Chocolate Eclairs, Giant King Cones and strawberry smoothies.  If you can't resist running after an ice cream treat after dinner, shift to lower calorie treats, now easily available at any Naturals or Baskin Robbins or Amul outlet. Yoghurt ice creams are a new trend; everyone loves them and are always low on calories. Whether it's an ice-cold beer, lemonade, sweetened iced tea, fruit smoothie, all those chilly drinks (especially the alcoholic variety) are full of calories. Why not try the good old ice water!

Longer Days - It's 7pm and there’s still light outside! Longer days mean staying up late, and that means late-night snacking. Instead of grabbing cookies or chips, leave containers of cut up fruit in the fridge you can nosh on when you feel hungry.

No Exercise - Don't put your exercise plans on hold. Continue to fit some physical activity into your day, even if it means staying indoors. That might mean taking a brisk walk around the mall, moving your workout to a gym or using the stairs instead of the lift or escalator. Try to maintain the same level of physical activity you did in the cooler months, especially if your eating habits haven't changed.

ACs - Ironically, all that cool air blowing through air-conditioning vents has many people reaching for comfort fatty foods. If you find you're spending more time indoors, use that opportunity to cook some healthy, wholesome meals instead of ordering takeaway. You will save unnecessary calories, fat and sodium in the process. And with plenty of fruits and vegetables in season, this is a great time to boost your intake of fresh foods.

Dead but living; how zoo animals suffer in the summer season

Transferring animals from the wild into closed compounds with the promise of controlled living conditions, food and other facilities is what zoos aim to provide. There is however, no comparison between an animal’s natural habitat and those artificially created in cages, zoos and other animal facilities, where there is an extreme lack of resources and a seeming lack of compassion. And such is the situation in many zoos in India.

So as the sweltering summer approaches, it’s not just the humans who are feeling the heat. In one of the incidents, the animals in the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad, are showing distinct signs of discomfort and retreating to the shade. Though their concerned ‘keepers’ are keeping them cool with water spiked with electrol powder and giving the herbivores (elephants) fruits and green vegetables.

On the other hand, the summer brings many challenges ahead for the officials of Bannerghatta National Park in Bangalore. The Park has 4-5 borewells that have not been able to meet the rising water demands of the park. On a single day, the park requires two and half lakh litres of water. Speaking to City Express, Devraj Deputy Conservator of Forests said, "We are using borewell water for the animals, however, for the water holes, we are procuring water from outside tankers."

Human beings are not the only ones trying to stay cool amid the summer heat, the animal kingdom too needs to quench their thirst and protect themselves from dehydration. But this serious state of affairs of the thirsty and often malnutritioned animals is not just restricted to Hyderabad and Bangalore, it is in fact a more common site in of the oldest zoos of the country, Byculla Zoo at Mumbai where the animals are often seen struggling with the humid weather and lack of clean water.

“Weather models show that the month of May and June could be warmer than usual and therefore the summer 2013 could be unbearably hot”, says Mahesh Palawat, Head of the forecasting team at Skymet Weather.

It is therefore extremely essential to take such serious and often questioned issues even more seriously this summer and help the poor animals withstand the climate change. For this, water coolers, natural ‘thunga’ grass covers which are watered regularly, foggers, sprinklers, ‘kush thattis’ and other devices could be installed as coolants. Besides, when the temperature increases and power cuts become a regular activity, guardians should be assigned to throw water in the enclosures manually.

Photo by Ritika Acharya.

Can drinking tea cool you down in summers?

Does drinking hot tea cool you down in the summer? Everyone has a different theory about how to cool off in the season’s high temperatures, and one persistent rumor is that hot drinks can really help. To find out if it’s just an old wives tale, or a great way to cool off, read this.

Dr. Doug Graham, an athlete, raw food expert, and author of The 80/10/10 Diet says it’s not 100% clear cut. “Well, it does and it doesn’t. By ingesting a hot liquid, you introduce heat to the body, and raise the body temperature. The body must cool itself to bring body temp down to normal. So, cooling responses are generated by drinking hot tea. But those cooling responses are to neutralize the heat of the liquid and the fact that the body temp has been abnormally raised–not really cool the body.”

So you might feel the cooling effect of perspiration after you drink hot tea or coffee, but your body is really just trying to maintain a stable temperature.

Dr. Bess Stillman, an Integrative Medicine consultant and Emergency Physician, agrees. She explains in detail the chemical reactions that happen in your body when you drink a hot tea in the summer that make it seem like a great short-term solution to uncomfortably hot summer weather. The tongue contains receptors that respond to heat. If you eat something hot, the receptors are thought to signal the brain that they’re warming up. When the hot drink reaches your belly, it also signals your brain that your core temperature is higher than that of your surroundings. In response, the hypothalamus – the part of the brain responsible for controlling your temperature—turns on cooling mechanisms, so you sweat. When sweat evaporates, you feel cooler. But in the long-term, she says, it can actually lead to dehydration and hurt your body’s ability to regulate its core temperature.

Most non-herbal tea also contains caffeine, which is a diuretic—meaning it causes your kidneys to dump water from your body into your urine. Dehydration is one of the leading risks for hyperthermia in the summer seasons. Therefore, in the long run hot tea may increase your core temperature and dehydrate you, leading to heat related illness, which people of all ages and health are at risk for.

If you’re desperate to cool off, we recommend drinking something cold to avoid the possibility of hyperthermia, or placing ice packs on pulse points (like under the armpits). Don’t forget, the liquid you drink isn’t smart enough to be able to tell what the season is!!

Global warming could cause the worst allergies

This spring could be the most miserable month ever, for all those with allergies, and the blame can easily be put on climate change.

The planet is getting warmer, and human behavior is responsible. The changing climate has brought early spring, late-ending fall, and large amounts of rain and snow.  All of that, combined with historically high levels of carbon dioxide in the air, nourishes the trees and plants that make pollen, and encourages more fungal growth, such as mold, and the release of spores.

Here’s one example. Experts like Leonard Bielory, an allergy and immunology specialist with the Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction in New Jersey says, that the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the record-setting blizzard in the U.S dumped massive amounts of precipitation over the region which has promised a robust allergy season.  Irresponsible human behavior in developed countries has been fueling the explosion of pollen. "The trees are going to burst of pollen higher than in past years,'' said Bielory, who predicts that pollen counts will increase by 30 percent by 2020 and, "in a perfect test-tube world, will double by 2040 because of climate change.'' (Study: Pollen Counts To More Than Double By 2040). And pollen production is only a tiny small part of the impact that global warming is going to have on allergies and asthma — and our overall health

In other countries like India and China where prolonged heat and drought is experienced, dust will worsen air pollution, exacerbating asthma and other respiratory diseases. Climate change will then affect the insect population too. Insect stings and bites will provoke more fatal allergic reactions as well as the proliferation of such vines as poison ivy which will be way more severe now than that in the past. Current evidence also suggests that climate change will increase the concentration of ground-level ozone, particularly in Western cities, causing an increase in respiratory diseases. In short, if you have allergies or asthma, climate change is going to make you a lot sicker now and in the coming years!!

If you are lucky enough to be free from allergies, don't make the mistake of dismissing them as nothing more than a minor annoyance. Allergies can have a serious impact on the quality of life, and in some circumstances- a bee sting, for example, or if they trigger an asthma attack — they can kill." This is not just a matter of having a runny nose,'' said Jeffrey Demain, director of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska.  "Allergies affect the ability to go to work and to go to school, and they affect school and work performance. They interfere with playing sports, social opportunities, how well you sleep. ''On average, someone with allergic disorders experiences a quality of life 35 percent less than the general population.

A 2011 study, showed that the ragweed-pollen season has become longer in certain countries in recent years, this points to climate change as the reason why this is happening.

Jatin Singh, CEO of Skymet Weather says, “Stopping human activities that contribute to climate change might help future generations avoid these risks. We can also hope for a new medical breakthrough that will turn off the allergic response.”

Go Green Careers

Looking for a different career and not a mundane 9 to 5 corporate office job? Here’s a hint, Go green! Well there are careers that are green and save the environment. Surprisingly, with a number of options out there, environmental career fields have been rapidly expanding. And guess what! green jobs can be the coolest for being the highest paying jobs ever! Here’s a list of some unique jobs you could opt for:

Sustainability Consulting

You know everything about the environment and you always wanted to be a consultant. Here’s a dream job for you. Sustainability consulting involves telling others how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Work can range from helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint to creating sustainability projects. A lot of research on environmental practices, law and business options can be expected in this field. You may find yourself turning a corporate giant into a beacon of sustainability.

Renewable Energy

The renewable energy career field is one of the fastest growing in the world. You have solar power, wind power, geothermal, hydro power, and more. You need people to design, build and manufacture solar heaters, wind generators, and other such products. Apart from homes and buildings, you’ll find renewable energy being used on vehicles, as well as chargers for electronic devices. The best part is, since the field involves energy that is renewable, jobs and energy resources are highly unlikely to run short anytime soon. Given those factors in a world with depleting resources and rundown economies, it should be clear why renewable energy jobs will be ever green!

Construction

Become a ‘Green Architect’ and earn truck loads!! Here’s why.. Lately, it’s been embedded into peoples’ heads that a green home is a smart home. Everyone around you will tell you what home improvements to make in order to make your house more sustainable, energy efficient, or simply a good tax write-off. Therefore businesses are rapidly jumping on the green construction bandwagon by adding solar panels for houses and companies. You could do an eco-friendly interior decoration for an NGO or even design the next hydro-powered car

Organic Products/Farming

The world and everything in it seems to be going green. Organic products are cropping up more often throughout local stores and big retail chains. If you have an interest in farming, gardening and the like, you can grow your own organic crops and plants and sell them. If you want to push your creative business side, you can create and sell your own organic products, or perhaps work through wholesale or as an affiliate of an already existing organic company. From vegetables to beauty products, the possibilities for this field are really endless.

Uneasy weather in Kolkata today evening

Day and night temperatures in Kolkata are expected to remain high during the next 24 hours and evening will be uneasy for the people of 'City of Joy'. The weather in Kolkata will not be as humid as expected as moist winds are prevailing in upper levels. The sky will be partly cloudy obstructing the heat from escaping and thus making conditions uncomfortable. Westerly winds will blow during the evening hours and the temperatures between 7 to 11 pm will hover around 33 to 31 degrees making it warm. Humidity level of 40 to 60% will persist during these hours. A trough (a region of intensified moist winds) rests near by so there are also chances of thundery development but rain will depend on intensification of the system.

The weather in Kolkata for rest of the week will continue to be hot and humid. Day temperatures in Kolkata will even touch the 40 degrees mark by Sunday, the 7th of April. Night temperatures in Kolkata are also in mid-twenties and will continue to remain in the same range for the next few days. There is no chance of rain during this period.

 

Photograph by Chippu Abraham







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