Skymet weather

Rain, thundersqualls and hailstorm in MP; Vidisha lost crops

Intense rain with thunder-squalls and hail damaged crops in Vidhisa district in Madhya Pradesh last Saturday, 16th of March. Farmers in the district in some cases lost their entire gram crops as they were uprooted and taken away by thunder-squalls. Lemon size hail (Ice platelets) broke the wheat stems and wheat had fallen to the ground in a matter of two hours. According to villagers at least 70 percent of the crops of wheat and gram were lost in the district.

During this time of the year, central India heats up more due to which convective clouds form at around 3000 feet in the atmosphere. Mahesh Palawat, of Skymet weather explains that sometimes these clouds expand up to 50-55 thousand feet above. In such circumstances with the height, temperatures fall and super cooled droplets turn into ice platelets. The numbers of ice platelets keep increasing, as temperatures remain sub-zero at that height and above. Due to prevailing low temperature and high humidity level they do not melt fast enough even post precipitation as in the case of Vidisha where farmers observed lemon size ice platelets that did not melt even hours after the rain.

Gyaraspur, Nateran, Kagpur, Devkhajuri, Detakheri, Kothichar Kala, Khiria, Sankalkhera Khurd, Namakheri Kolta and Baikhedi areas were most affected by heavy rain, thunder-squalls and hailstorms. The clouds were part of the cyclonic circulation that prevailed here on Friday and Saturday in these parts.

 

Photograph by Juliancolton

New Zealand reels under a drought

A little over a year ago, New Zealand’s was battling torrential rain and flash floods. And today, it is fighting a crippling drought! A drought was declared in the entire North Island on Friday, 15th of March for the first time in 30 years as farmers in every part of the North Island are facing extremely difficult dry conditions.

Meteorologists and experts tell us that there has been little significant rainfall in the northern and eastern parts of the country since October. Though some rain was forecast in the last few days however the farmers will need much more than that. Parts of the North Island are drier than they have been in 70 years, say reports out of New Zealand. The government has estimated that the drought has already cost the farming community about $820 million in lost exports and it could get worse if there is insufficient rain in the next few weeks. New Zealand's last big drought was five years ago and it cost farmers billions of dollars.

Milk production in New Zealand, the world’s biggest exporter, will therefore continue to slow as the most widespread drought threatens economic growth severely. Hundreds of cows have been slaughtered as the ministry of Beef, Lamb NZ and Dairy NZ are among those providing support to farmers

The North Island requires at least 362mm of rain to get grass growing again. “Three to four days of moderate rain would nurture new seedlings. Besides, the rain has to be moderate and not a sudden downpour. Any deluge will muddy the ground and impede growth”, says climate scientist Jim Salinger said. Previously the highest record rainfall needed was in the summer of 1945-46, when the soil moisture deficit was 361mm.

The hot weather has contributed to a bumper crop of quality tomatoes, which are retailing around $2 a kilo. The winter sports season could be delayed in parts of the North Island due to dry fields, impacting rugby league and football. Insects and birds like the monarch butterfly and kiwi are struggling to find water and food in parts of the country and are facing risk of starvation. Researchers believe long dry spells are expected to double by 2040 as New Zealand is slowly heading towards a Mediterranean climate.

Jatin Singh, CEO of Skymet Weather, says “Extreme weather will become more frequent in the coming years as it has already started to show its signs in India and other countries.”

Drought in India is not only a periodic phenomenon but also a permanent, harsh reality for many rural poor. Studies have shown that droughts in India affect almost 70 percent of the country’s area, making it a drought-prone zone, due to weak and irregular monsoons. Currently, due to the drought situation at Maharashtra in India, the government approved a 1,207 crore drought relief package to help destitute farmers.

Photo by Sandra Mu/Getty.

5 Summer skin problems

The long, hot, languid days of summer are great for the beach parties but they are not always so great for your skin. Your skin is always exposed to the weather and environment and naturally, the harsh climate can wreak havoc with it! It’s important for you to know what troubles to expect as the summer heats up and treat them before they’re a problem!

Malassezia Pityrosporum folliculitis or Adult Acne

This is a form of acne that causes bright red pimples on your forehead, along your hairline and chin, and on your back and chest. Younger people, such as teens and young adults, are the most prone to this condition. That’s because sweat, combined with oily teenage skin, puts them at particular risk. You are even more at risk if you have a history of allergies, hay fever, and asthma because of your skin’s immune system. Treatment and prevention for pityrosporum folliculitis is to shower as soon as possible after sweating, to try to avoid sweating, and to cleanse your skin with a medicated products that helps to control the pityrosporum yeast. Or go the natural way by eating by drinking a lot of water during the day and applying natural coolants on your skin, like aloe vera gel or sandalwood paste.

Staph folliculitis:

Again, you are at higher risk if you have a history of allergies because of your skin’s immune system, but staph folliculitis can happen to anyone. Regular unclean waxing or shaving causes the staph bacteria to spread from hair follicle to hair follicle thus big, painful, pus filled boils form on shaved skin, including legs, armpits, or the beard area. Once the folliculitis develops, you need to see a doctor immediately for diagnosis and possibly antibiotic treatment.

Self-tanner mishaps:

People with dry skin and age spots are at risk for developing alligator-like or leopard-looking skin when they use a self-tanner(a product when applied to the skin gives the appearance of a suntan). That’s because the tanner gets stuck in these thicker spots, making them darker than the rest of your skin. The fix is to exfoliate your skin before applying self-tanner. We have a better idea! All those foreign tourists out there.. ditch your sun-tanner and travel to India for a natural tan.

Rough scaly feet:

Older and sandal-wearing folks are particularly prone to thick, rough heels that will snag stockings and crack. The trick is exfoliation. Dip your feet into a bucket of salty, luke warm water every night, followed by a suitable foot cream to keep our skin exfoliated and super soft. You could even apply the foot cream and wear a pair of socks before you sleep, to let the cream get absorbed in your feet overnight.

Intertrigo:

Anyone who sweats and has skin folds can develop a red, often tender rash in the skin folds called ‘Intertrigo’. Diabetics are especially prone to Intertrigo. Treatment and prevention involves keeping the skin folds as dry as possible and treating the problem when it flares up. Have regular baths, use a medicated or a talcum powder and do some cardio and running to lose those extra kilos this summer to avoid those skin folds to form at all.

Tropical forests could survive global warming

Recent studies published online in ‘Nature Geoscience’ have revealed that some tropical forests may show resilience in the face of global warming. This is because tropical forests are less likely to lose biomass, i.e. plants and plant material in response to greenhouse gas emissions over the world.
Though the results suggest that the risk of climate-induced damage to tropical forests will be relatively small, a lot more research is still required to quantify the physiological response of tropical forest ecosystems to climate change. The study was aimed in part at determining the future evolution of tropical rain forests — including the role they play in the global climate system and the carbon cycle.
The research team included climate scientists and tropical ecologists from the UK, USA, Australia and Brazil and was led by Dr. Chris Huntingford, with the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in the UK. The research team looked into computer simulations with 22 climate models to explore the response of tropical forests in the Americas, Africa and Asia to the severe greenhouse-gas-induced climate change.
“The big surprise in our analysis is that uncertainties in ecological models of the rainforest are significantly larger than uncertainties from differences in climate projections,” said Huntingford, a researcher. “Despite this we decided to conclude, based on current knowledge of expected climate change and ecological response and remarkable variability in forest sensitivity, that there is enough evidence of forest resilience for the Americas (Amazonia and Central America), Africa and Asia.”
However it is important to note that other factors such as fire and deforestation are not included in the study. Some scientists believe that these left out factors may also affect the carbon stored in tropical forests though their impacts are also difficult to simulate. Forests are believed to store about 45 percent of the carbon found on land.
Moreover, rapid shifts in eco-systems, particularly through vegetation die-offs could be among the most striking impacts of increased drought and climate change around the globe. Co-author Dr David Galbraith from the University of Leeds said, "This is why we must improve our understanding of how tropical forests respond to extreme weather, increasing temperature and droughts.
Co-author Dr Lina Mercado from the University of Exeter and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said, "Building on this study, one of the big challenges is to include a full representation of thermal acclimation and adaptation of the rainforest to warming."

Weather in major airports in India on 19th of March 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays- Mainly clear sky is expected in Delhi airport. Mist is likely during morning hours. Day temperature in Delhi will rise marginally. Night temperature would be near normal during the next 24 hours. Northerly to northwesterly winds will be observed in Delhi

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays- Amritsar airport will have a partly cloudy sky. Day temperatures will rise but morning will be cool. North and northwesterly winds will prevail.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays- The sky in Lucknow airport will be a mainly clear sky. No significant rise is possible in temperatures and winds will blow from northwest direction.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays- Day will continue to see below normal temperature but the night temperature may increase a bit in Varanasi airport.  Sky will be mainly clear with northwesterly winds blowing west.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays- Patna airport will have a mainly clear sky and day temperature could rise a bit during the next 24 hours. Night temperature will also rise a bit to remain above normal. Winds would be northwesterly to westerly.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays- Kolkata airport will have a warm afternoon and night temperatures would also rise during the next 24 hours. The sky will be mainly clear.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – The sky will be partly cloudy in Bangalore airport. Light rain or thunderstorm is possible in some areas in Bangalore. Temperatures would remain near normal in Bangalore.

 

Photograph by Sugata Banerji

Weather forecast for the week in India 18th-24th March

National weather forecast for the week predicts dry weather for most of the parts of the country. There could be rain in extreme northern, northeastern and southern parts of the country. Temperatures in India will not change much at the start of the week and the weather will be pleasant. They could rise gradually as the week progresses but mornings and evening hours will be cool due to northwesterly winds.

North & Northwest India
The week starts with near normal temperatures but they will turn above normal during the next two to three days. A Western Disturbance is persisting over northwest Jammu & Kashmir but will not have much impact, as it is weak. The weather system would give light snowfall and rain in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on 21st and 22nd respectively. Northerly to northwesterly winds would keep a check on night temperatures. Another Western Disturbance would reach Jammu & Kashmir on Sunday.

Central India
The week starts with below normal day and night temperatures. Open sky has led to more heat radiation that brought down the day temperatures in the last few days but they will turn normal post next two days as there will be more heating and less radiation in coming days. Mornings would be cool and comfortable in places in like Bhopal, Gwalior and Indore as they will experience northwesterly winds that are blowing towards west after reaching central India.

Western India
Day temperatures in Saurashtra and Kutch and far western parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat are scaling heights and would remain above normal in coming days. Night temperatures would remain near normal under the aegis of northerly to northwesterly winds. Eastern parts of these states would see day temperatures turning normal during the next two days and may go above normal thereafter. However night temperatures would remain near normal during the week.

East and Northeast India
Indo-Gangetic plains are experiencing below normal day temperatures mainly due to more heat radiation and partly cloudy sky in the last few days. Even if radiation increases, temperatures would consume the whole week to turn normal or above normal. Rain will be witnessed at one or two places in Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim at the start of the week but the region would become dry thereafter with rain limiting itself to higher places in the Himalayan terrain.

South India
Coastal Karnataka and Kerala will see rain at one or two places at the start of the week and such intermittent showers would continue throughout the week. Easterly winds that were turning into southeasterly are now becoming northeasterly along the east coast.

Weather in major airports in India on 16th of March 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays- Mainly clear sky is expected in Delhi airport. Temperatures in Delhi would fall during the next 24 hours. Cool northerly to northwesterly winds would prevail in Delhi.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays- Amritsar airport will have a clear sky. Winds would blow from north and northwesterly direction. Night temperature will drop during the next 24 hours

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays- Lucknow airport will have a mainly clear sky. Night temperature may fall a bit. Winds would be northwesterly.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays- Varanasi airport will have mainly clear sky and temperatures would remain above normal during the next 24 hours. Winds will be northwesterly

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays- Partly cloudy sky is expected at Patna airport. Temperatures would remain above normal and the afternoon will be warm and humid.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays- Light rain is expected in Kolkata that will show a drop in day temperature due to a partly cloudy sky. Night temperature will remain stable.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – There could be light rain in Bangalore and sky will be partly cloudy. Temperatures will become near normal. Southeasterly winds will prevail in Bangalore.

 

Photograph by ahmedfaizy

Weather in major airports in India on 15th of March 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays- Light rain could occur in some areas in Delhi. The sky will be partly cloudy. Temperatures in Delhi would fall during the next 24 hours. Intense northerly to northwesterly winds would prevail in Delhi.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays- Rain or thunder showers could occur in Amritsar. Generally, a cloudy sky is expected. Winds would blow at moderate speeds from northerly to northwesterly direction.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays- Lucknow airport will have partly cloudy sky becoming mainly clear. Temperatures would remain stable in Lucknow. Winds would be southeasterly.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays- Varanasi airport will have a clear sky and temperatures would remain above normal during the next 24 hours.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays- Mainly clear sky is expected at Patna airport. Temperatures would remain above normal.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays- Warm and humid conditions in Kolkata during the afternoon session would continue. Sky will be mainly clear.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – The sky in Bangalore would be partly cloudy. Temperatures will stay above normal by 2 degrees. Easterly to southeasterly winds will prevail in Bangalore.

 

Photograph by photoyogi

Fall in temperatures conducive for swine flu in Mumbai

Mumbai is experiencing changes in weather for quite some time now. A week earlier, it was boiling at close to 40 degrees during afternoons and cooling down to around 15 to 16 degrees during morning hours. But now as the day temperatures are being recorded at around 32 to 33 degrees while the morning ones are hanging in early twenties, doctors believe that such change in temperatures with rise in humidity level are conducive for the spread of H1N1 virus that culminates into swine flu.

According to Mahesh Palawat, head of forecasting at Skymet Weather, the rise in humidity level is due to westerly winds. “Earlier the weather in Mumbai was experiencing southeasterly to easterly winds that were keeping temperatures high during the day, cool northerly to northwesterly winds were prevailing during the night and morning hours thus minimum temperatures were below normal. In a week, wind conditions changed and westerly to northwesterly winds took charge in Mumbai during daytime and dropped the temperatures to below 35 degrees. Westerly winds from the Arabian Sea increased the humidity level”. The low temperatures with high humidity levels have created conducive weather for the spread of HIN1 virus.

Mumbai has not recorded any swine flu deaths but 15 people have died and 986 people have tested positive for the virus in Maharashtra until now this year. In 2012, Mumbai reported 360 swine flu cases and five deaths.

 

Photograph by markhillary

Weather in major airports in India on 14th of March 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
No Delays- Rain, thundersqualls and hailstorm is expected in Delhi during the next 24 hours but that would not have any bearing on flight operations. The sky will be partly cloudy. Southeasterly winds will prevail for another 24 hours.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
No Delays- Sky will be partly cloudy in Amritsar and there are chances of rain as well. Southeasterly winds are invading the region but they would be replaced by northwesterly winds from tomorrow evening onwards.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
No Delays- Lucknow airport will have clear weather conditions. Winds would be southeasterly and due to moisture content afternoon could be uncomfortable as temperature during the period will be around 34 degrees.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
No Delays- The afternoon in Varanasi airport would be a bit warm with a maximum temperature of around 35 degrees. The sky will be mainly clear.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
No Delays- The sky will be mainly clear in Patna airport. Afternoon will continue to see above normal temperatures. Evening and morning hours will be cool and comfortable.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
No delays- The warm and humid weather in Kolkata airport will continue. The sky will be mainly clear. Winds would be southwesterly to southerly.

Bangalore Airport
No delays – Temperatures in Bangalore would be above normal. Winds in Bangalore are easterlies. The sky will be partly cloudy.

 

Photograph by vm2827







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