Skymet weather

Fog in Delhi to continue for next two days; Snowfall in J&K likely to intensify

A strong Western Disturbance over Pakistan will move to reach Jammu & Kashmir during the next 48 hours and will affect the weather in northwest hills and plains in a few days. Snowfall is expected to resume over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and would possibly last till Tuesday next week. The plains in the region will also receive rain. Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan could even be lashed by hailstorm and heavy rain during this period.

The weather in Delhi will also become partly cloudy, cloudy at times, leading to drop in day temperatures but due to restriction on northwesterly winds, the minimum temperature will rise in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh along with the capital New Delhi.

Fog will be witnessed in Delhi and surrounding northwest plains during the next 24 to 36 hours till the affect of Western Disturbance reaches the region. Winds have slowed down sharply in the region and moisture feed from easterly to southeasterly winds along with low minimum temperatures will continue to give moderate to dense fog during the period. Rise in night temperatures will provide relief from fog Saturday onwards.

The prevailing fog conditions over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal will continue in 24 to 48 hours. But by Sunday, the arrival of a Western Disturbance will benefit the region as winds will become westerly to raise the minimum temperature a bit. Dense fog hours would lessen after the next 48 hours in these parts.

Heavy to very heavy snowfall is expected in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand at the start of next week. Snowfall that resumes on Saturday will first be experienced at a few places and then will increase to lash most of the hills in these states. The weather in these places would start to become partly cloudy to cloudy and day temperatures will drop but due to the cut-off northerly winds night temperatures would rise by up to 3 degrees.

January snowfall in HP to ensure bountiful apple output

The frequent snowfall that led to snow covering the apple orchards in Himachal Pradesh has brought hopes of a bountiful output among growers this season. Apple productions have been below normal in the last two years. In 2012, over 20 million boxes of apples of 20 kg each were harvested in Himachal Pradesh that is one-fifth less than the normal yield of 25 million boxes.

Upper Shimla that is responsible for 80 percent of total apple production in the state, has received more than three feet of snow. Enough snowfall will increase moisture content in the soil and it will help the apple plants that are in dormancy period to get sufficient nutrients during summer.

Snow helps to maintain the minimum chilling period of 1000 to 1600 hours for an apple orchard. A healthy apple plant requires chilling at this time of development with temperatures around seven degrees. Snowfall will lower the risk of premature bud breaking and flowering during mid-March.

In some areas such as Thanedar, Kotgarh and Kharapathar, orchards have been destroyed by snowfall but government officials ruled out an early impact calculation at this moment. Apple production is a major source of income for the state where more than 200,000 families are engaged in the fruit's cultivation. The apple industry is worth over Rs 2,000 crore. Apple forms 80 percent of total fruit production in the state that are generally harvested between July and November.

The uncertain weather remains a regular battle for apple farmers. Prolonged dry spells during monsoon season dwarfs the fruit that usually leads to decline in production.  Hailstorms, heavy rains, strong winds and too much heat affect hopes of the apple growers of a good harvest. According to the state department estimates, 20 to 30 percent of vegetables and fruits get damaged due to hailstorm every year.

 

Photograph by Shahnoor Habib

Dense fog hits Delhi, to continue for next two days

Dense foggy conditions hit Delhi and other areas in the northwest plains on Thursday morning. The sudden change in winds pattern is responsible for intensification of foggy conditions as the persisting dry and cool northwesterly winds in the region have slowed down in speed and the southeasterly to easterly winds are reaching here with more moisture content. The prevailing low temperatures aided by slow winds and moisture feed have supported the fog formation in the region.

Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist at Skymet weather expects these weather conditions to continue during the next 48 hours. “The moisture content in Delhi weather will be in the range of 80 to 100% between evening and the morning hours. Early morning hours could even have visibility below 50m as the humidity level will be around 100% during that time with winds blowing around 1 to 2 lymph, so fog will continue till Saturday," he said.

The arrival of Western Disturbance possibly by Saturday will help fog abatement. The weather in northwest India is likely to change at the start of the week as wind patterns will again alter and temperatures - especially the night temperatures - will rise to curb dense fog in Delhi and adjoining regions. The day temperatures could drop a bit during this period as partly cloudy to cloudy sky will be witnessed.

 

Photograph by mailumes

Delhi braces for rain, hailstorms this weekend

Delhi including the entire northwestern plains in Punjab, Haryana, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh could receive rain along with hailstorm during this weekend. The possibility of rain/thunderstorm or hailstorm has risen due to approach of warmer land winds from Afghanistan and Pakistan to these parts where cool and dry winds already exist making the air mass unstable that cause intense thunderstorms. Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist at Skymet weather says that in such conditions, relatively cool dry air superimposed with very warm and humid air and the unstable air is necessary to produce large updraft speeds, fast enough to keep a developing hailstone from falling to the ground.

He further elaborates that small ice particles that form above the freezing level in the thunderstorm collect a layer of frozen rain water, forming a water shell. If these growing hailstones fall into another updraft, they can continue to grow, until they finally become too large for the updraft to carry them, or they get caught up in a downdraft, and they finally reach the ground. Delhi has seen other such hailstorms with heavy rain on 18th of January this month.

Bad weather accompanied with snowfall and rain is likely to hit the weather in north and northwest India at the start of the first week in February when a strong Western Disturbance will arrive over Jammu & Kashmir on 2nd February night or 3rd February morning. So the start to the week could have rain at a few places in northwest plains of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh. This period of rain would also have hailstorms. Once the Western Disturbance will move out of the region, cold weather with sharp drop in minimum temperatures will continue to hit lives in these parts for next few days.

 

Photograph by Adam_d

Prevent a cold during season change

Have you got a tickle in your throat, a cloudy head and an aching body? If you still haven’t paid attention, do it now, because you might be coming down with a common cold once again because of your colleagues or family members. Doctors say an average adult gets three common colds per year, each lasting an average one week. And now that the winter is bidding goodbye, and the season is changing once again, common cold is hitting everyone at the workplace and homes and is spreading like a viral, literally.

Catching a common cold means putting your life on hold for a day or two and this can therefore be difficult for all those who have demanding office hours and hectic work schedules. But you know what.. you don’t have to surrender to this annoying common cold and running nose. Most of the remedies will tell you what to do when the common cold has hit you but we will tell you exactly how you can stop a cold before it takes a hold you.

Wash your hands- Wash hands often and teach everyone in your household to wash their hands frequently. Frequent washing of the hands helps reduce the spread of germs. Make sure the person who is down with a common cold in your house washes his/her hands often and thoroughly. Use sanitizers even after washing the hands. Also spray sanitizers in and around your home. This should include all frequently touched objects.

Avoid the sick- We are not asking to stop talking to your friends and family but if you know your friend in office or your brother at home is sick, just try to stay away or at least be wary around them. 90% of the people who catch a common cold during the winter months, catch it from somebody. Common cold spreads very fast and goes very slowly. So be careful! The first few days of the common cold are riskier as common cold is most contagious during this period.

Eat healthy- Keeping yourself healthy doesn’t only mean taking a balanced and vitamin rich diet, it also means getting enough shuteye every night. Adequate amount of sleep at night will always keep your immunity levels high so it can fight off infection, and you don’t give in to illness.

Rest- If you’ve noticed symptoms of common cold, take a day off from work and rest! This might sound stupid at first and your work hours might not even allow it, but experts always advise taking a day off to relax and rest to not let the problem get aggravated. Take a day off so you don’t have to fall terribly sick and take three to four days off later. Your body can fight off the virus better if you’re well-rested.

Exercise- Ok you listened to us and took a day off from work but now we are suggesting you exercise. This is a little too much! Isn’t it? Well no, it’s not. Don’t just be in bed and sleep at home all day long. Try to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise. Run on the treadmill for 15 mins and do some breathing exercises for another 15 mins. Do yoga if you prefer it more than the treadmill. Light exercise during sickness always boosts the immunity. Remember, a healthy body is a strong body, is a happy body!

Homemade meds- Most of us feel like grabbing a painkiller or antibiotics as soon as the cold starts to kick-in, thinking it’s the best way to ward off the common cold. But why take all those meds when simple home remedies can cure you way better than any chemicals. Inhale some steam to take out all the blocked mucus in the nose and chest, have honey and ginger juice for the throat, eat a vitamin C, zinc and protein rich meal, such as a wholesome salad, drink lots of fluids, be it orange or pineapple juice or just plain simple hot water, gargle with salt water and keep your nose clean.

Photo by Typexnick.

Weather in major airports in India on 31st January 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
Flights operations at Delhi airport will be smooth although the weather in Delhi airport will have shallow fog for a short duration in early morning hours. Fog in Delhi airport will keep the visibility around 600m at the time. The sky in Delhi will be cloudy at times.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar
Amritsar airport will be fog free and flight operations are unlikely to get affected during the next 24 hours. The sky will be partly cloudy with chances of thundery activity.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow
Flights operations will be on time at Lucknow airport though moderate to dense fog will persist during morning hours.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi
Flight operations will not be affected but moderate to dense fog will persist during early mornings. The visibility could be around 100m for a short period in Varanasi. The sky will be partly cloudy.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna
Flight arrivals and departures remain unaffected at Patna airport. Moderate fog will appear. Some clouds at times would be seen in Patna.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
The airport in Kolkata will not be affected, as there are no chances of dense fog.

Bangalore Airport
Flight operations will be on time at Bangalore airport. Mist could appear in some pockets. Moderate easterly winds will be blowing in Bangalore. The sky will become partly cloudy at times.

 

Photograph by allenthepostman

Rise in temperatures likely in north and northwest; fog, cold days persists in east UP, Bihar

Weather in Delhi including northwest and north India will see a marginal rise in day and night temperatures during the next two days. Foggy and cold day conditions will continue in east Uttar Pradesh, north Bihar and sub-Himalayan West Bengal. Fog could appear at Rayalaseema within 48 hours. Temperatures will drop in extreme southern lands in Tamil Nadu and Kerala during the next two days.

The weather in Delhi will have winds blowing from west. These winds are coming in from the lands of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are warmer thus will increase the day and night temperatures by 1 to 2°Cin the next 24 hours. These winds will also raise the temperatures in Rajasthan, Gujarat and some parts of Delhi. Clouds associated with these winds will appear in the sky in these parts during the next 48 hours.

Another Western Disturbance is expected to arrive over Jammu & Kashmir during in 24 hours as it lies over north Pakistan and nearby areas. The system would move forward to east-northeast from here on and would block cool northerly winds from raising the temperatures in northwest plains. Snowfall and rain is expected in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh during the next 48 hours.

Fog in India will continue to be observed in some part of Uttar Pradesh in the east, north Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal in the early morning hours. With the arrival of warmers winds from west, fog conditions will abate from these places after the next 24 hours.

Warmers winds from west and northwest will also lead to temperature rise in east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and north Chhattisgarh tomorrow onwards. These places are experiencing below normal temperatures since last week.

In the south, cold conditions are developing on relatively cool northeasterly winds reaching the southern parts of the country and temperatures are likely to drop marginally during the next two days.

Easterly to southeasterly winds in Andhra Pradesh will meet cool and dry northerly winds so, fog formation could be a chance in Rayalaseema. There are chances of rain in Andhra Pradesh as these winds could create a cyclonic circulation during the next two days.

 

Photograph by Simon

The coldest winter in China in 28years

The knowledge of the effects of global warming are not new to us but the results felt from it, in many developed countries across the globe, way faster than we imagined, has shocked researchers and weathermen. Cyclones in India and U.S.A, extreme hot weather and fires in Australia and intolerable cold weather in China in the last 28 years are a few examples of global warming.

The effects of global warming have brought the coldest winter in decades in China and are causing blizzards in northern region of China. This has therefore threatened electric power supplies in south China as the local authorities are not used to dealing with such freezing temperatures. A rise in cold and flu cases, increase in number of deaths, increase in respiratory problems and long electric power-cuts are the problems the people in China have had to face. An astonishing number of about 180,000 cattle have died in the north China.

Hundreds of emergency shelters have now been opened in southern China to help people who do not have adequate housing to survive the below-average cold. Weather forecasters and researchers at China say, “China is experiencing a colder winter than usual and temperatures will continue to fall until mid-February.”

Between late November 2012 and early January 2013, China recorded its lowest temperatures in 28 years. In northeastern China, air temperatures dipped to -15.3°Celsius, according to the state news agency Xinhua. Frigid temperatures and blizzards stranded air and rail passengers and took the lives of many homeless.  Thousands of travelers endured long delays as fog and frozen runways paralyzed airports. Hundreds of irate passengers berated the staff at Kunming's airport. Some trains were also halted and several highways were temporarily closed due to snow and ice.

In eastern Shandong province, more than 1,000 ships were stuck because of thick sea ice on Laizhou Bay, while the farmers fretted over damage to late-season crops such as winter wheat. Prices for vegetable have jumped 55% within 10 weeks of the cold.

The last time this similar cold weather hit China, was in the winter of 2008, when south China suffered a snow and ice "disaster" that caused widespread power outages and affected more than 100 million people.

CEO of Skymet Weather, Jatin Singh says, “The weather is rapidly changing and topic of global warming is getting hotter every year. But discussions are not going to help. We need to increase the accuracy of weather forecasts at different levels of government. We must also improve the emergency facilities and help people to boost their ability to cope with disasters.”

Photo by Storyvillegirl.

Mercury soars at 36⁰C in Goa; tourism possibly low

The weather in Goa invited thousands of travelers from around the world to see its beautiful beaches. The weather in Goa with its moderate temperatures are a great escape for the freezing and ever dropping temperatures of north India. The weather of Goa in the month of January promises to stay sunny and warm as the easterly winds from the sea keep the temperature on the higher side.

Goa

Date

Max Temp⁰C

16/01/2013

36

17/01/2013

33

18/01/2013

32

19/01/2013

33

20/01/2013

34

21/01/2013

34

22/01/2013

35

23/01/2013

34

Forecasters at Skymet Weather have been studying the temperatures of Goa in the last few days and they inform us that the weather in Goa has continuously been in the higher thirties due to a number of reasons. Head of the forecasting team, Mahesh Palawat at Skymet Weather says, “The continued warm weather of Goa would has possibly affected the tourism this month as compared to the tourism figures every year.” The inclination of the sun towards the northern hemisphere, the easterly winds from the sea being warm, dry conditions, lights winds, no rain and the halted flow of the cool winds from the north could be the many reasons for the above normal temperature in the Goa. This is a table indicating the max temp in Goa from Jan 16th to Jan 23rd 2013, compared to the max temp on the same dates in 2012.

Goa
Date Maximum Temperature

16/1/2012

33

17/1/2012

32

18/1/2012

30

19/1/2012

30

20/1/2012

29

21/1/2012

29

22/1/2012

31

23/1/2012

31

 

 

 

 

 

After a lull in the arrival of tourists in December, around New Year and in January too, the tourism industry in Goa is expecting a brighter season during the ‘Goa Carnival’, which is held in the month of February. However authorities blame the weather of Goa less and the flight rates to Goa more, for the poor tourism in Goa this year. They say, even when the weather of Goa was not so warm during early December, a drop in tourist arrivals was observed by 15 to 17%.

Although a recent law passed by the Supreme Court to reduce air fares will definitely help in increasing the tourism figures once again. "We have already got a feedback that all the airlines are booked during Carnival time. So we expect that the arrivals will shoot up," said Nikhil Desai, Director of State tourism, Goa. Weathermen at Skymet say, “It’s never too late, January has been warm but the weather of Goa in the month of February could be less warm and the wind pattern could change, bringing in cooler winds and a drop in mercury.

The Goa Carnival would be celebrated from 9th of February onwards during which float parades are organized across five main cities. Mythological figures of King Momo, parades in the streets, the overflow of fenny and various dance performances keep the tourists from all over the world entertained.

Photo by Nizam Uddin.

Less cold and pleasant weather in Delhi; further rise in temperature is likely

The weather in Delhi has been extremely pleasant in the last few days with little or no rise in the minimum temperatures and mornings are no more icy cold. On Jan 28th the temperature in Delhi was recorded at 6.7⁰C and it remained the same on Jan 29th as well. Days have become extremely sunny and many are flocking to India Gate and Connaught place for that small picnic and ice cream with friends and family. Fog woes too are over as the shallow fog in Delhi is too less to disrupt any flights or railways or bother commuters on the road.

The maximum temperatures however are between 21⁰C to 23⁰C. Head of the forecasting team at Skymet Weather, Mahesh Palawat says, “This perfect weather, neither too cold, nor too hot in Delhi will continue for a couple of days and temperatures will be stable with marginal rise”. The maximum temperature is therefore expected to rise by one degree tomorrow on Jan 30th.

Though the system (western disturbance) has been weak this time and gave no rain over Delhi, forecasters say, “if not rain but cloudy or partly cloudy weather will definitely prevail over Delhi in the coming days and thundery build up could also be a slight possibility.”

Whereas northeast Jammu and Kashmir recorded light snow and the temperatures in the adjoining areas of north India namely, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh  (Amritsar, Jaipur, Agra) recorded the mercury going up by a couple of notches. There has been no respite from the biting cold in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The coldest in the plains of India was recorded at 2.6⁰C at Najibabad in U.P.

Down south, far away from the cool and pleasant temperatures of Delhi and north India, the highest temperatures of the country are continuously being recorded at Kerala (Punalur) at 36.8⁰C. Temperatures in this part of the country are not expected to change at all. Moreover dry weather, with no chances of rain will make people uneasy. Dry weather is expected for rest of the country as well.

Photo by Fabulousfabs.

Weather in Major Airports in India on Jan 30th, 2013

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi- The weather in Delhi airport will be pleasant as the shallow fog in the Delhi airport will not delay any flights. Light fog such as this does not affect the weather in Indian airports and does not disrupt any flight services. The weather in Delhi airport will be partly cloudy, soon after the fog gets cleared.

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar- Amritsar has an international airport and thus knowing the weather for this airport becomes extremely important. Shallow fog with visibility down to 700meters will not delay or cancel any flights at all. The early morning flights too will be able to take off without any issues.

Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow- There are chances of early morning flight delays at the Lucknow airport since the weather in Lucknow airport will be foggy. There are chances of moderate to dense fog in patches and visibility could be extremely low from midnight to 9am. The fog will soon clear after 9am and bright sunlight will appear. Winds are calm and therefore the fog is most likely to form over Lucknow for the next two days.

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Airport, Patna- Shallow fog will cover the airport in Patna too. But no flights will be delayed or cancelled. Mornings will be cold and days will be bright and sunny soon. Visibility could be around 800 to 900metres.

Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi - No fog, therefore no delays at the Varanasi airport. All flights will be on time. Skies will be clear. Perfect for a safe and punctual take off.

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata- Kolkata has had perfect weather in the last few daysf. Days are cool and windy and temperatures are around 24⁰C to 25⁰C. Though light haze can be seen in open areas or in coastal regions due to pollution, but this will not delay any flights.

Bengaluru International Airport- The fog in Bengaluru airport is often pretty sudden and stays for a very short period. So travelers have nothing to worry about. There will be shallow fog in Bengaluru airport but it will not delay any flights. Visibility will be great soon after sunrise.

Photo by Justin Pickard.







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