Dry weather during planting period is expected to drop sugar production in India second year on trot. The output is expected to fall by 6.5% to be around 24.6 million tones (mt) during this sugar year that starts on the 1st of October.
The reason behind this fall is drought in key growing state of Maharashtra, the second largest producer of sugarcane in India. Marathwada and Vidarbha has only been able to plant 70 percent of the sugarcane and thus, there will be shortage of sugarcane supply during the year for mills in Maharashtra.
The recent cane acreage is down by about 10-15 per cent in Kolhapur, In other sugar zones such as Pune and Solapur, the cane acreage is down by 20-25 per cent and the highest decline would be in Marathawada and Vidarbha at around 35 per cent. All of these areas have been facing drought like conditions for last two-year.
The only hope of revival of this crop is on time arrival of monsoon this year in the country, India being biggest producer after Brazil, producing around 27mt of sugar on an average. The average consumption of sugar in India is 24mt and a fall in sugar will lead to import and rise in sugar price both in domestic as well as world market.
Photograph by Lauri Andler (Phantom)
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays- Sky will become mainly clear in Delhi airport from tomorrow onwards. Winds would blow from north and northwest direction. Temperatures in Delhi airport will be pleasant.
Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays- Partly cloudy sky will give way to a mainly clear sky from tomorrow onwards. Chances of rain will reduce during the next 24 hours and northerly to northwesterly winds would also keep temperatures below average.
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays- Sky in Lucknow airport will become clear from today evening onwards. Winds would be northwesterly. Temperature in night and day will drop in the next 24 hours.
Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays- Partly cloudy sky will become mainly clear from tomorrow. Temperatures will remain almost unchanged in Varanasi. Winds would be northwesterly.
Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays- Patna airport will have a mainly clear sky. Day temperature will rise a bit in Patna while the night will be comfortable. Winds would blow from west.
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays- Hot and humid weather is expected in Kolkata. Sky will be partly cloudy and there could be rain as well during afternoon hours. Winds would blow from southwest.
Bangalore Airport
No delays – Afternoon in Bangalore airport will be warm. Winds will come from southeast direction and sky will be partly cloudy.
Photograph by Ashish Bhatnagar
Rain in Delhi is likely to reduce by tonight and thereafter a pleasantly cool weather would persist for next two days before temperatures start soaring. Rain in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand would continue during the next 24 hours. It will also continue over east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa during the period to reduce thereafter. Rain will pick up and would continue over northeastern states during the next 48 hours.
The Western Disturbance is moving away eastwards from Jammu & Kashmir and the cyclonic circulation of west Rajasthan would also weaken during the next 24 hours. This will largely take away the rain that poured over Delhi and other parts of northwestern plains in the last 24 hours. A few places in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will have rain in the next 24 hours that will reduce after this period. One or two places in Punjab. Haryana, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh could receive rain during the next few hours.
Weather in Delhi will be pleasant and cool as winds would blow from north and northwest. Winds would blow at 15 to 20 kmph during the next 24 hours. Sky will be mainly clear but temperatures in Delhi would take at least two days to come above average. Similar wind conditions would prevail in other parts of northwest plains where temperatures would dip and next two days would be comfortable.
Northerly to northwesterly winds are expected to penetrate central Peninsula and temperatures would dip to give relief from their recent rise during the last few days. Northeast Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa will have rain for another 24 hours and the weather is expected to become clear from tomorrow onwards. Temperatures in Marathwada will drop during the next 24 hours.
Rain would continue in eastern parts of West Bengal, Sikkim and in northeastern parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The trough of low pressure area continues to persist from north West Bengal to head Bay of Bengal. Southwesterly winds are providing moisture to this weather system.
In south, there may be light rain in extreme southern parts over Kerala and Tamil Nadu while some places such as adjoining areas of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka could also have rain. Southwesterly winds and southeasterly winds are colliding in AP and Karnataka.
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays- Delhi will have a partly cloudy sky with chances of light rain/thundery development. Temperatures would be below normal. Winds would blow from northwest direction.
Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays- Generally cloudy sky and light rain is expected in Amritsar. Temperatures would remain below normal. Winds will blow from northwest direction.
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays- Thundery development with chances of light rain is expected in Lucknow. The sky will be partly cloudy while winds will come from northwest.
Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays- Varanasi has chances of light rain under a partly cloudy sky. Winds in Varanasi will come from northwest direction.
Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays- Sky in Patna airport will be partly cloudy and there are chances of thundery development also. Winds would blow from west.
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays- Warm and humid day will continue in Kolkata airport. Light rain is also expected. Sky will be partly cloudy.
Bangalore Airport
No delays – Bangalore airport will have a partly cloudy sky. Winds will come from southwest direction. Temperatures remain above normal in Bangalore.
Photograph by Hyougushi
Delhi along with other areas in northwest and north India would receive rain during the next 24 hours. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will see most of this rain. Rain would also continue in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and parts of northeastern states during the next two days. Thunderstorm/thunder-squall at some places is also possible in almost entire country during the next 24 hours.
A Western Disturbance that lies over north Pakistan and adjoining areas could arrive over Jammu & Kashmir anytime during the next 24 hours. Also a cyclonic circulation lies over north Rajasthan. The weather in Delhi would be affected by this weather system for another 24 hours during which sky will be partly cloudy and there could be rain, mostly light at a few places. Temperatures in Delhi would be below normal during the next 24 hours.
Hills in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will have more rain and cloudy sky during the next two days. Winds would blow over these areas from northeast and east and temperatures would remain below normal. Rain will also occur at a few places over north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Rain will continue in east-central India over east Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. A Cyclonic circulation is persisting over south Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha areas. Rain will last for another 24 hours in these places.
In northeast, a trough (a region of intensified moist winds) of low pressure area lies from sub-Himalayan West Bengal to Gangetic West Bengal that is fetching moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The weather system would bring rain over from sub-Himalayan West Bengal to Gangetic West Bengal as well as over Sikkim. Rain at one or two places would also continue over Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
Rain is expected to continue in extreme southern parts over Tamil Nadu and Kerala coast during the next 24 hours. During the next two to three days, one or two places in north, northwest, central, east and northeast India could have thunderstorm/thunder-squalls as well.
Photograph by Uditgupta 14
Wondering how to tackle climate change? Have at least one ‘no meat’ eating day in every week! Says the world's leading authority on global warming, the UN.
Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change advised that individuals could help tackle global warning through diet change. Diet change is important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems - including habitat destruction - associated with rearing cattle and other animals.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feed, for example, while ruminants - cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double with the rapid consumption of meat in India and abroad.
'Give up meat for one day in a week, initially, and then decrease it from there,' says, Pachauri, who is a vegetarian himself. However, he also stressed other changes in lifestyle would help to combat climate change which is bringing about reductions in every sector of the economy. Also, the bigger issue here is not consumption but where the meat comes from. “If we all stopped buying imported food we'd save a huge amount of carbon emissions”, adds Pachauri.
Animal welfare groups like Compassion in World Farming, have had studies and calculated that if the average UK household halved meat consumption it would cut emissions by more than half of the current number in the world. The group has called for governments to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60 per cent by 2020. Campaigners have also pointed out the health benefits of eating less meat. The average person in the U.K eats 50g of protein a day, equivalent to a chicken breast and a lamb chop and 25-50 per cent more than World Health Organisation guidelines.
Last year a major report into the environmental impact of meat eating by the Food Climate Research Network at Surrey University claimed livestock generated 8% of UK emissions - but eating some meat was good for the planet because some habitats benefited from grazing. It is also said vegetarian diets that included lots of milk, butter and cheese would probably not reduce emissions because dairy cows are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released through flatulence.
With the above claims, whether practical or not, one thing has to be agreed upon, and that is, climate change is a very young science and a lot more needs to be studied on its impact to be able to make such claims.
Photo Ritika Acharya.
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays- Winds will change over Delhi airport from tomorrow afternoon or evening onwards and a mainly clear sky will also become partly cloudy. Day will be a bit warm tomorrow in Delhi. Mist will prevail during morning hours.
Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays- Partly cloudy sky is expected at Amritsar airport. Day temperature will rise. Winds would blow from east.
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays- Warm day expected to continue in Lucknow airport. Sky will be mainly clear. Cool morning hours will be a relief.
Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays- Afternoon continues to be hot in Varanasi airport but weather during morning hours will be cool and comfortable. Winds will blow from west. Sky will be mainly clear.
Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays- Sky will be mainly clear in Patna airport. Day temperatures would be stable but night temperature will fall in Patna. Winds will blow from west.
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays- Hot and humid weather will make day uneasy. High night temperature would not offer relief. Sky will be partly cloudy in Kolkata.
Bangalore Airport
No delays – Sky will be partly cloudy in Bangalore. Winds will come from southeast direction and temperatures for both day and night are expected to remain stable.
Day temperatures in Delhi could rise by 2 to 3 degrees during the next two days. Weather will turn partly cloudy to cloudy in north and northwest India from tomorrow evening onwards and would stay for next two to three days. Rain is expected to continue over eastern, eastcentral and northeastern parts of the country. Extreme southern parts would also receive rain during the next 24 hours.
Temperatures in Delhi would see a rise of 2 to 3 degrees during next couple of days. Day temperatures will rise during the next 24 hours while night temperature will pick up on Thursday 28th of March to fall a bit on Friday and Saturday. During the next 48 hours, sky in Delhi will be become partly cloudy by tomorrow evening and rain could be a possibility on Friday and Saturday.
Wind conditions in Delhi would also change from tomorrow afternoon or evening as northwesterly winds would be replaced by easterly to southeasterly winds. So there will be a rise in Humidity level as well on Friday.
North and northwest parts of the country will have weather similar to Delhi. Hills in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand could receive rain from tomorrow onwards. Temperatures would also rise in these parts with a change in wind conditions.
One or two places in Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand could receive rain as a trough of low pressure area runs from east Rajasthan to Rayalaseema across west Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. These places are receiving moist winds from both of the flanks in the Peninsular India. Western to northwesterly winds from the Arabian Sea and southeasterly winds from the Bay of Bengal are reaching these areas.
Rain is expected to continue over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and northeastern states where some places would receive rain during the next two days. A trough of low pressure area that runs from north Bay of Bengal to Sikkim and a cyclonic circulation of northeast are giving rain these places. In extreme south, a few places in coastal Kerala and Tamil Nadu will receive rain during the next 24 hours. Rain would decrease here from tomorrow onwards.
Holi is the biggest festival in the Hindu calender year and is celebrated with lots of enthusiasm across the nation. Different forms of Holi such as Lathmaar Holi in UP, Haryana and Rajasthan, Kumaoun Holi in Himachal, Phaguwa in Bihar are played on this auspicious day. Here’s the weather forecast for Holi region-wise:
North and northwest India
The weather during the 'Lathmaar' holi will not give you the shiver you much this Holi but the ‘laathi’ might. Mathura, Vrindavan and other places in northwest India are famous for such Lathmaar Holi even some parts of Delhi and NCR follow this tradition.
Skymet Weather forecast for India sees a rise in day temperatures so the cooling effect of water will not be felt after once drenched and you will be warm during the afternoon. The weather will turn pleasant by evening and Gulal will bring about the charm on your face. The hills of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand could even receive rain during Holi as a Western Disturbance is expected on 27th of March. Winds would change from northerly-northwesterly to easterly southeasterly in north and northwest plains from evening.
East India
Rain is expected at one or two places in east India. The Pichkari could make you cold for when shot at you. The weather over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and northeast Madhya Pradesh will have partly cloudy weather that will make temperatures drop during the day. Winds from northwest would also add to the cool water assaults. But, by 3:30 pm, the weather will become pleasant enough to enjoy a Gulal Holi. Northwesterly winds would blow from western direction in east India.
Central India
Central India in places like Gwalior, Bhopal or Indore will have a warm daytime to play Holi. The sky will be mainly clear. Night temperatures will remain cool so an early start is advised to escape the afternoon heat. Evening Holi with Gulal will be enjoyable as temperatures will sooth a bit by that time. Winds over central India will blow from northeast and east direction. Gujarat will have winds from northwest direction.
Photography by dms_303
Skymet Weather has often tried to draw attention towards rapid change in global weather and the extreme weather phenomenon due to which droughts in India are one serious issue that hasn’t been dealt with enough seriousness. Here’s a situation that has become a cause for concern to the Forest Department in Mudumalai. Unprecedented drought is keeping the Forest Department officials on their toes in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve as a dry and awful March plays havoc.
Records at Skymet weather show that though the area near the Nilgris often receives rainfall above or near normal, certain pockets still stay affected during the dry months. In 2009, Coimbatore received 98mm of rainfall, which was 304% above normal, while the normal rainfall figure of the area is 30mm in the month of March. But this year, forest department confirms that practically the entire reserve extending to over 321 square kilometres has been wearing a parched look.
Environmentalists and Forest Department officials further add that temperatures in the higher thirties and dry conditions with not even a single drop of rain could even trigger an outbreak of bushfires. “I am seeing the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in such a state for the first time plus the migration of animals in search of water and fresh vegetation has begun”, says Conservationist P.J.Vasanthan. He also pointed out that some of the animals he saw were conspicuously emaciated. Many animals from the Moyar part of the reserve are coming to the channel to quench their thirst, which flows from Maravakandy to the Moyar Dam.
The prevailing weather conditions have made the surroundings extremely dry and leafless. Since the situation in the Sigur and Gudalur forests adjoining the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve was also equally bad, the human-wild animal conflict has escalated and instances of elephants damaging houses are being frequently reported.
Environmentalists lament that this year, even perennial water sources have dried up. In view of the prevailing situation, a plan of action to deal with any exigency has been put in place. Officials, including 100 fire watchers, have been instructed since the fringe areas along the road which cuts through the reserve are highly vulnerable to bushfires. Water tankers have also been stationed at convenient places in a bid to provide water to quench the thirst of wildlife during summer.
On the other hand, the same efforts are being taken in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in the Pollachi Range by filling up the water troughs by up to 20,000 litres. This step would also prevent wildlife from straying into human habitations in search of water.
Mahesh Palawat, Head of the weather forecasting team at Skymet says, “this is just the beginning of the dry season, April and May could be much more brutal to animal life if preventive measures are not taken on time and if the concept of weather is not ingrained in society.”
