Skymet weather

5 things to eat during Monsoon

New Delhi, Friday, August 24. The humidity level in the atmosphere remains high whereas our digestion system becomes weak due to hardships of summer during monsoon season. So, our digestion system fails to perform the way we want and by eating too much or by consuming unhealthy diets we usually invite seasonal diseases like food poisoning, diarrhea, dysentery and cholera. Here, we are giving you a list of five things, which are healthy and suits to our digestion system during monsoon season.

Eat foods low in salt - Avoid heavy salty foods as they promote water retention and bloating. To have medium or low salt food is a better option.

Eat foods which are drying in nature - Makka (corn), chana (chickpea), besan (gram flour), jow (oats) are most preferred foods during the season. Avoid eating foods like rice, lassi, watermelon and muskmelon creates swelling in the body.

Eat light foods like vegetables, fruits, cereals - Avoid too much of meat or fish. You can also enjoy grilled, tandoori foods which need minimum oil/butter.

Consume a lot of bitter vegetables – Eat karela (bitter gourd) and bitter herbs like neem (basil), methi (fenugreek) seeds, haldi (turmeric) as they prevent infection.

Drink butter milk - Milk is the best diet in this season. Drinking butter milk is good as it improves digestion.

Eating outside during the season, one should try to maintain the general hygiene. One should also avoid roadside vendors as it is difficult for many of us to handle the high dose of bacterial at such places. Oily food should also be avoided. Foods which are very sour like tamarind (imli), chutneys and pickles should be avoided as they promote water retention.

Scanty rain to hit Aman paddy production in south West Bengal

New Delhi, Friday, August 24. Around eight lakh hectare farmland has been left uncultivated due to scanty rainfall in south West Bengal districts. This can bring down to the production of Aman paddy in the state by over 20 lakh tonnes during the Kharif season.

Aman paddy was sown on 34.5 lakh hectares of land till 17th of August, much short of the 42.92 lakh hectare target. The state would yield around 86 lakh tonnes paddy from the quantity of the land cultivated so far. But with the showers are inadequate the production is likely to fall by 23 lakh tonnes.

Aman paddy is cultivated from June to December and grows best during monsoons in deep, semi-deep and low-lying land. Aman paddy constitutes around 70 per cent of the total rice production in Bengal.

The states received little more than 600 mm of rainfall till the 17th of August; this is 151 mm less than the normal rainfall. The total shortfall of rain has been estimated at 20 percent. The south West Bengal districts, which are the main producers of Aman paddy, are deficient by 29 percent.

Burdwan, considered the rice bowl of the state, received only 13.1 mm, rather than its normal 83.6 mm. There has been scanty rainfall (less than 60 percent of normal) in districts including Malda, South Dinajpur, Nadia, Burdwan, Hooghly, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah North Dinajpur, and South Dinajpur.

Tips for Fitness during Monsoon

New Delhi, Thursday, August 23, Monsoon showers bring relief from the scorching heat of summer but they also throw a challenge for maintaining fitness. The usual routine of a jog or walk in the morning gets affected due to constant rain outside. Here, we are offering you some tips that would not let you feel lethargic even if rain outside prohibits you from performing your regular walk or jog.

Do exercise at home

Ask your fitness instructor about the exercises similar to the workouts you do at the gym. Stick to the same routine or timings that you use to follow. As the temperatures are down after summer it is the best season to start workouts or exercises.

Ways for Workout

Purchase and use skipping rope, treadmill, dumbbells and the like as this is the ideal season to buy and use them. The simple exercises such as sit-ups, calf exercises, knee bends and waist bends work as well as gym workouts.

Play with the kids

Playing with kids and their games can be exhausting but that will keep you active as they force you to stretch physically and mentally. Indoor Jogging is also very healthy.

It is hard to escape mouth watering snacks during rainy-season but with these tips you can make up for them by burning your extra fats through indoor workouts and exercises.

Argo products left affected in Kerala as the climate turns dry

New Delhi, Thursday, August 23, In the last two decades, the climate in Kerala has turned dry from wet. The variation in rainfall during the monsoon months of June and July has led to rise in temperature and change in climate. These changes in weather have proven to be detrimental for Kerala agricultural products such as coconut, Cardamom, Black pepper and cashew. This has affected the production and productivity of crops.

In the case of coconut, there has been a drop of nearly 1.6% in total production. The heavy shower spells in the non-intense months of August or September have affected the crops which need to get the rainfall at an appropriate time. The production has been stagnating with a 2% decline in production.

Cardamom has been hit by dry spells that have been happening regularly. The production and productivity of cardamom have been affected due to these aberrations in weather.

The changing temperatures in the otherwise tropical climate have resulted in such sharp variation in the production of Black pepper.  The farming of Black pepper has come down by 24 percent during the last nine years.

For Cashew, there is a possibility of cut in total production by 60 percent in Kochi, the major Cashew producer district in Kerala. The low yield of cashew has been attributed to the change in weather as the crop is highly weather sensitive.

Showers expected over interior Southern Peninsula; rain to stay over the northwest, east and NE

New Delhi, Thursday, August 23, The prolonged dry session is likely to end over the Southern Peninsula as the interior parts of north Tamil Nadu, southeast Karnataka and Rayalseema in Andhra Pradesh are expecting rain during the next couple of days. Meanwhile, the ongoing showers would continue to lash the northwest plains, east and northeastern states during the next twenty four to forty eight hours.

The southeasterly winds originating in the Bay of Bengal and the southwesterly winds emerging in the Arabian Sea would first penetrate the east and west coast respectively and then collide over north Tamil Nadu, southeast Karnataka and south Andhra Pradesh. This scenario will bring showers into a region where dry weather is prevailing for quite some time this season. Rain would be light to moderate and expected in the initial evening hours. This phase of rain would last for two days.

However, the western end of the monsoon trough continues to make its presence felt on the northwest plains. The region is expected to stay with moderate showers during the next twenty four hours. Northwest Rajasthan, north Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab would receive showers during next one or two days. Monsoon trough is essentially a region of intensified monsoon winds. The trough is passing through Ganganagar, Narnual, Budaun, Kanpur, Balia, and Berhampore thence eastwards to east Assam.

The western end is likely to shift north of its normal position during the next forty eight hours. This will increase the intensity of the rain over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Heavy to very showers at one or two places over these areas are possible during this period.

The central part part of the monsoon trough in coordination with the low pressure over west Uttar Pradesh, northeast Rajasthan and south Haryana would garner rain over these areas during the next twenty four hours. Showers could be heavy at one or two places over the region especially over east Rajasthan.

The eastern part of the monsoon trough would produce rain over northeast Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, north West Bengal, Sikkim and northeastern states. Rain over these areas will last for next twenty four to forty hours. The trough is getting moisture from the southeasterly winds from the Bay of Bengal.

Rain would be subdued over central parts of the Peninsula over Vidarbha, Telangana, south Chhattisgarh and interior Orissa for now.

Along the west coast, the offshore trough is weak and extending from Maharashtra to Kerala coast. Light to moderate rain will continue over the entire coast except Kerala and Karnataka coast as rain is likely to reduce during the next twenty four hours.

Pleasant weather likely during first test match between India and New Zealand

New Delhi, Wednesday August 22, The weather conditions would be pleasant in Hyderabad during all five days of the first test match between India and New Zealand. The maximum temperature during the first three days of the test match would be between 32° to 34°C. The start to the first session of the innings will be cozy as the morning temperature would be around 22° to 23°C. The sky is likely to remain cloudy during the five days of the match.

For the last two days of the test match, the temperatures would dip a bit as light rain is expected over the city. Showers during the 4th or 5th day of the match might cause interruption. But, with showers, the maximum temperature may be drop to 30°C and the minimum will be around 20°C. The humidity level may also come down during the last two days of the test match due to rain. The winds will be southwesterly to westerly during the first two days while they would be northwesterly to westerly in the last three days of the match.

Rain likely to benefit Chana and Jeera sowing

New Delhi, Wednesday, August 22, The late surge in the amount of rain in states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will ensure enough moisture in soil during the month of October when Chana is sown. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh the major producer of Chana have been receiving good rain for the past few weeks and as these states are slotted for more rain during next three to four days will add to increase in moisture level in soil essential for proper growth of Chana plants. Chana is Kharif crop and sown in October.

Jeera or cumin seed is the other Rabi crop which depends on moisture in soil for sowing and better production. Gujarat is the major producer of Jeera where rain has been deficient till July but the rainfall during August is going to boost the presence of moisture in the soil during October when cumin seed is sown. Gujarat has been predicted with more rain in the next three to four days.

Heavy rains likely over northwest region; rain intensity is likely to reduce over central India

New Delhi, Wednesday, August 22, Heavy rain is awaited at one or two places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh during the next forty eight hours. Showers would be heavy at one or two places over east Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in the next twenty four hours. However, the intensity of the rain would subdue over central India after twenty four hours. The Western Himalayan region as well as the eastern one will also receive heavy showers with one or two places expected to be lashed by very heavy rain during next twenty four to forty eight hours.

Rainfall activity is likely to continue over the northwest plains in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh. The northward movement of the monsoon trough is responsible for continuation of rain in this region. The trough is being fed by the moist southeasterly winds originating in the Bay of Bengal and the southwesterly winds from the Arabian Sea.

The monsoon trough is passing through Ganganagar, Dholpur, center of the low pressure area,   Daltonganj, Berhampore and thence eastwards to Assam. Monsoon trough is essentially a region of intensified monsoon winds.

Subsequently, the eastern end of the monsoon trough would also be close to the foothills of the Himalayas during the next forty eight to seventy two hours thus increasing the rainfall intensity over the region. Sub-Himalayan West Bengal. Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya would be receiving heavy showers during this period. One or two places over the region would also get very heavy rainfall.

The cyclonic circulation or the low pressure area over north Madhya Pradesh and south Uttar Pradesh has moved and now persists over south Uttar Pradesh adjoining north Madhya Pradesh. It will be responsible for rainfall activities over east Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Heavy showers are anticipated at one or two places over these areas while moderate rain at many places would continue to happen during the next twenty four hours.

After this period, the low pressure area is likely to move in a northwest direction to reduce rain over the southern parts of central India. However, the northern parts of central India in Madhya, central Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan would continue to with rain during the next forty eight hours. Rain would reduce over west Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha.

The west coast is likely to continue with light rain as the offshore seasonal trough is feeble. The trough extends from the Maharashtra coast to Kerala coast. The coastal areas of Konkan, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala would receive light to moderate rain during one or two days. In the Southern Peninsula, rains are continuing to be scanty. Isolated showers are expected over north coastal Tamil Nadu.

Scanty rain leads to rise in Monsoon illnesses in Mumbai

New Delhi, Tuesday. August 21, The prevailing warm and humid weather conditions over Mumbai during the first two weeks of August have led to rise in cases of fever and flu-like-illnesses. There have been over 4,521 admissions in civic hospitals due to fever this month while private physicians have been treating at least 3-5 such cases in their OPDs for the last few days.

During this period, cases of Malaria and dengue are also witnessing a rising trend. Over 1100 cases of Malaria and 51 cases of confirmed Dengue have been reported during the month of August. The past two months have recorded 2863 cases of Malaria.

Gastroenteritis and jaundice have also been a worry for Mumbaikars. The BMC's epidemiology cell has recorded 824 cases of gastro, 109 cases of jaundice and 36 of typhoid this month. As the heat and rains continue in the city, these cases are expected to go up in the next few days.

Mumbai receives most of its rain from the moist southwesterly winds added with a low pressure area or a cyclonic circulation originated over the Arabian Sea but this time around the Arabian Sea has failed to evolve such system till now. The seasonal offshore trough along the Maharashtra coast to Kerala coast also remained weak during most part of August this year leading to rise in humidity and warmness.

Rain to continue over northwest and central India; J & K, H.P and Uttarakhand await heavy rain

New Delhi, Tuesday, August 21, The northwest plains in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh are likely to receive moderate showers during the next twenty four hours. Showers would also be continuing over central India in east Rajasthan, east Gujarat, northwest and west Madhya Pradesh in the next twenty four hours.

Rains are expected over the northwest plains as the western end of the monsoon trough is likely to move northward. The monsoon trough is passing through Ganganagar, Narnaul, Gwalior, center of the low pressure area over the north Madhya Pradesh and south Uttar Pradesh, Daltonganj, Behrampur and thence eastwards to Nagaland across Meghalaya.  Monsoon trough is essentially a region of intensified monsoon winds.

While during the next forty eight to seventy two hours, due to the shift of the western end of the monsoon trough in the foothills of the Himalayas, a very severe session of showers is awaited over the Western Himalayan region. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand will be receiving heavy to very heavy showers during this period. The eastern end of the trough will also be close to the Himalayan foothills to bring rain over east and northeastern states. Rain would be incessant over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and northeastern states during this period.

Rainfall activity is likely to continue over the east Rajasthan, east Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh especially over northwest and west Madhya Pradesh as the low pressure areas currently positioned over north Madhya Pradesh and south Uttar Pradesh is expected to move towards northwest Madhya Pradesh. Rain would be moderate but heavy rain also cannot be ruled out during the next twenty four hours.

The prevailing monsoon trough in Jharkhand, sub-Himalayan West Bengal will fed by the moist southeasterly winds from the Bay of Bengal and the southwesterly winds from the Arabian Sea. This would result in rain over Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, and Gangetic West Bengal during the next twenty four hours. Rain will be light to moderate. Rain is likely to subdue over Vidarbha after this period.

The west coast will continue with light showers as the seasonal offshore trough is weak. The trough is extending from Maharashtra to Kerala coast. Rain is likely to subdue over Kerala and Karnataka during the next twenty four hours as the southwesterly winds are flat. In the Southern Peninsula, Tamil Nadu is experiencing warm and humid conditions in the absence of rain. Isolated light rain can be expected at one or two places over north coastal Tamil Nadu.

Heavy rains likely to continue over H.P, Uttarakhand; showers to stay over central India

New Delhi, Monday, August 20, Rain with heavy shower at one or two places is expected to continue over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir in the next twenty four hours. The showers would also be continuing over central, east and northeast India in the next twenty four to forty eight hours.

Showers over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir are active as the western end of the monsoon trough is close to the western Himalayan region. It is likely to remain in the foothills of the Himalayas during next forty eight hours. Rainfall activities would also happen over the northwest plains where fairly widespread rain is predicted at many places over Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Heavy rain could also happen at these places including Delhi during next forty eight hours.

The monsoon trough is passing through Ganganagar, Narnaul, Shivpuri , Center of  low Pressure area, Pendra, Jharsuguda, Balasore and thence southeastwards to eastcentral Bay of Bengal. Monsoon trough is essentially a region of intensified monsoon winds.

Another trough is extending from Chhattisgarh to east Arunachal Pradesh across Jharkhand and Assam. This would translate into showers at a few places over Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, sub- Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunchal Pradesh as the southeasterly winds would be feeding moisture to this trough.

The low pressure area responsible for heavy rains in eastern part of the country over Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha has moved to north Madhya Pradesh. Rains would continue over these places during the next twenty four to forty eight hours.

The westward movement of this low pressure area could also lead to heavy rains at many places over west Rajasthan and east Rajasthan.

Along the west coast, the offshore season trough is feeble and extending from Maharashtra coast to Kerala coast. Light to moderate rain is expected to continue over these places in the next twenty four hours.

In the southern Peninsula, rains continue to evade the region as the southwesterly winds reaching here are devoid of moisture but they are enough to increase humidity.

Animals including Asiatic lions in the Gir Sanctuary facing water scarcity due to poor rain

New Delhi, Friday, August 17, The forest department of the Gir National Park is finding it hard in refilling some 500 artificial ponds meant for keeping the animals quenched as the ground water level has dropped due to poor rain. The ground water was being extracted to provide water to the animals here. With the help of wind and solar power, 55 ponds were used to fill automatically but now as the water level is dropping fast as the Gir region has received only 10 percent of the rainwater what it used to receive during a normal monsoon.

In the normal course, filling of the artificial waterholes in and around Gir stops by the 15th of June  every year, unless it is required in summer. But nearly after a decade, the authorities are being forced to fill these ponds in August. The water situation deteriorated when seven rivers passing through the sanctuary , Hiran, Saraswati, Datardi, Shingoda, Machhundri, Ghodavadi, and Raval started drying up.

The waterholes are being filled twice a day and the department may have to provide more supply to these waterholes. As a result a water tanker is making eight to ten trips a day to fulfill the demand. With natural water getting exhausted, the forest department will have to get water from distant places. The forest department may have to call in more tankers to meet the demand.

The Gir National Park is famous for the Asiatic lion. Along with it there are leopards, spotted deer, Nilgais, wild boars, and thousands of bird species and various reptiles present in the sanctuary.

 







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