Skymet weather

Monsoon held up again; showers to intensify over Mumbai

New Delhi, Monday June 25 The monsoon has remained stuck during the past forty eight hours even as expected funneling of moisture into north India via a trough formation along the Gangetic plains did not materialize. The moisture influx was not established due to poor interaction between the trough and a cyclonic circulation over West Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand that was supposed to be the driver.
Troughs are places where winds from opposing directions meet (or winds turn) and atmospheric pressure is low while the turbulence caused by such interaction (or turning) leads to rain, thundershowers and storms.
The Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) continues to pass through Veraval, Navasari, Malegaon, Betul, Jabalpur, Siddhi, Varanasi and Gorakhpur. The northern limit of monsoon is an imaginary line that connects places where the monsoon has reached at a given point in time.
A north-south trough extends from sub-Himalayan West Bengal to north Bay of Bengal and would lead to the enhancement of rainfall over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and northeast India but monsoon activity would remain subdued over Gangetic West Bengal.
A cyclonic circulation over central parts of Uttar Pradesh persists. The weather system along with the interaction of southeasterly winds along the Himalayan foothills would usher in rains during the next twenty four to forty eight hours in the region. Bihar and Jharkhand would receive isolated thundershowers.
A southwesterly surge seems strengthening between Konkan and north coastal Maharashtra and is a positive sign for increased rainfall in the region. Good showers are expected along the area over the next couple of days. Mumbai falling in the region would also witness build in rainfall activity. But the rest of west coast would continue with light to isolated moderate falls.
Another trough from Telangana to coastal Tamil Nadu has come into formation. The trough is mostly devoid of moisture and is unlikely to cause any significant affect over the area. Though north coastal Andhra Pradesh and north coastal Tamil Nadu may expect light rain. A few moderate showers are predicted for north coastal Andhra.
Some residual moisture prevailing in central India would continue light rain. The moisture levels have increased over Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana due to penetration of moist southwesterly winds.
Marginal drop in day temperatures is possible over the northwest plains under mainly clear days and isolated thundery activity towards evening or early morning due to the presence of a Western Disturbance over Jammu & Kashmir.
Western Disturbances are westerly (traveling west to east) weather systems that originate due to evaporation over the Mediterranean or the Caspian Seas.

IMD maintains a normal monsoon prediction

New Delhi, Friday June 23 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) took out the second monsoon outlook today for the 2012 southwest monsoon rainfall. The India Meteorological Department’s latest forecast puts monsoon rainfall during 2012 to be mostly normal.

Normal rainfall is a range of 96-104% of the Long Period Average (LPA). The LPA of seasonal rainfall in India is 89 cm for the period of 1951-2000. The model error of the monsoon forecast is ± 5%. So, if the model error is also counted then rainfall is expected to be within 91-109% of the LPA.

The India Meteorological Department’s latest outlook thus is largely on the positive side, ignoring any threat from an evolving El Nino or the negative phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). Global weather models are portraying clear signs of development of an El Nino while the IOD is in a negative phase.

Five fun ways to enjoy during a powercut

New Delhi, Friday June 23 Power outages are common episodes in India during summers due to an incurable demand-supply mismatch that the country is coping with. Shortage of energy, unable to meet peak power demand leads to power-cuts (load shedding) in both residential and industrial areas. But the going gets tough when one is back from work after a tiring day and instead of the comfort of a fan or an air conditioner meets a dark and stuffy home. Though battling without electricity in the heat may be like second nature to most Indians, we have outlined some fun activities to do when the lights are out.
Eat an ice cream or two: Head out have an ice-cream with family and friends. You can choose to drive to the coolest hangout place in town (India gate, Marine Drive, Hussain Sagar Lake, Victoria Memorial, Marina Beach, Brigade Road or take your pick) and chill out with ice creams or ice lollies. Or if it is too much of a trouble just march out and you will surely find an ice cream vendor out there, trying to make a quick rupee by selling cold relief in otherwise hot environs.
Play hide and seek: Well this might sound childish and a little dangerous too in some cities but one can try this out if living in a gated or secure community. And what is the harm in bringing back some childhood memories by playing hide and seek, as power cut provides a natural cover. This good old game can divert your attention away from the hot sultry weather and also lighten your mood.
Share a scary story: Scary stories are best told and enjoyed in complete darkness. Ask your grandparents to pick a ghost story from their collection and narrate it. Or one that your friend or sibling read or saw last week. You will feel the horror rather than heat.
Head for a walk: Enjoy a neighborhood stroll with your family or neighborhood friends. And if power cuts are very common in your area then this neighborhood stroll can be your evening or post dinner walk, something that your doctor or family was unable to talk you into. That is fantastic way to stay healthy and beat the heat.
Stare at the stars: Go to your terrace or the nearest park with a mat and lie down to stare at the stars for a change. Busy lives give us no time to appreciate nature’s bounty and the sky would a perfect watching point from a power devoid locality. Not only that, the view of a starlit sky is amazing on a dark night and gives you a spiritual kick when you feel near the universe.

Monsoon rains likely to spread over UP; west coast rainfall subsides

New Delhi, Friday June 23 The monsoon remained stationery in the last twenty four hours and the Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) continues to pass through Veraval, Navasari, Malegaon, Betul, Jabalpur, Siddhi, Varanasi and Gorakhpur. The northern limit of monsoon is an imaginary line that connects places where the monsoon has reached at a given point in time.

Meanwhile, a trough has developed from Uttarakhand to north Bay of Bengal cutting through east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal, at mean sea level. The trough formation will lead to enhanced rainfall activity over the regions where it is journeying through.

The trough is expected to funnel monsoon further inside Uttar Pradesh along the Gangetic plains. Heavy showers are also a chance at one or two places in these parts.
Troughs are places where winds from opposing directions meet (or winds turn) and atmospheric pressure is low while the turbulence caused by such interaction (or turning) leads to rain, thundershowers and storms.

A cyclonic circulation over Gangetic West Bengal and neighborhood still persists. The weather system would usher in light rainfall over West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.

The offshore west coast trough is enfeebling and extends from Goa to Kerala. The weak trough would subdue rainfall activities along the west coast. Mumbai rains have also turned light and isolated after an initial excess after monsoon’s arrival.

An east-west shear zone (wind gradient over relatively shorter distances) extends roughly along the seventeen degree north latitude. This would enhance rainfall activity over Rayalseema, Telangana, north interior Karnataka and the adjoining areas.

A Western Disturbance is on its way and is Afghanistan. The weather system is expected to move east northeastwards towards India and reach by June 24. But the Western Disturbance will pass through the higher latitudes and is likely to cause only light showers over Jammu & Kashmir.

But the Western Disturbance spells bad news for the northwest plains as the preceding warm front will push mercury levels even further.
Western Disturbances are westerly (traveling west to east) weather systems that originate due to evaporation over the Mediterranean or the Caspian Seas.
A cyclonic circulation over south Pakistan and adjoining west Rajasthan has merged with the heat low over northwest plains. The situation does not proclaim any relief from the prevailing heat wave conditions.

Southwest monsoon checks into UP; respite unlikely from heat in NW

New Delhi, Thursday, June 21 The southwest monsoon in spite of spoilers like Talim has inched further into remaining parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, some more parts of east Madhya Pradesh and some parts of east Uttar Pradesh.

Notably, the monsoon is due in these parts and more by June 15. Most parts of Gujarat (excluding some parts in north), most of Madhya Pradesh (excluding the Gwalior region) and southwest Rajasthan are usually splashed by monsoon showers.
The Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) is now passing through Veraval, Navasari, Malegaon, Betul, Jabalpur, Siddhi, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur. The northern limit of monsoon is an imaginary line that connects places where the monsoon has reached at a given point in time.

The off shore trough along the west coast persists. It is extending from south Konkan to Kerala at mean sea level. This is likely to strengthen and hence active monsoon conditions would prevail during next the twenty four to forty eight hours.
Rain and thundershowers would occur at many places along the west coast over Konkan & Goa, coastal Karnataka and a few places over Kerala and at one or two places over interior peninsular India except Tamil Nadu where it will be mainly dry.
Troughs are places where winds from opposing directions meet (or winds turn) and atmospheric pressure is low while the turbulence caused by such interaction (or turning) leads to rain, thundershowers and storms.

A cyclonic circulation (upper air) over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal and coastal Orissa also persists.

Another upper air cyclonic circulation over east Uttar Pradesh and neighborhood exists. The two weather systems would work in tandem pave the way for further penetration of monsoon into east Uttar Pradesh and some parts of west Uttar Pradesh during the next 3-4 days.
Meanwhile, the would cause rain/thundershowers at many places over Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and at few places over east Madhya Pradesh and east Uttar Pradesh.
Moderate rain is also likely over many places over northeast India under the aegis of moisture inflow from the Bay of Bengal. Heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places also.
Plains of northwest India and west Madhya Pradesh would be dominated by strong surface winds, in the range of 25-30 kmph due to a strong pressure gradient in these latitudes. The winds would be mostly hot and dry as the region is being inundated by westerly winds from hotter climes in west Rajasthan and adjoining Pakistan.

The situation will reign for another seventy two hours and no respite from ongoing hot weather conditions is in sight.

Monsoon arrives in Bihar, Jharkhand; intense heat to continue over northwest

New Delhi, Wednesday, June 20 The monsoon has entered Bihar and Jharkhand yesterday after a long wait. Interestingly, the normal date of arrival of monsoon to these states is around June 12. The monsoon however lay still on the western front.
The northern limit of monsoon is now passing through Veraval, Navsari, Malegaon, Betul, Seoni, Ambikapur, Gaya, Patna and Raxol. The northern limit of monsoon is an imaginary line that connects places where the monsoon has reached at a given point in time.
A cyclonic circulation (upper air) over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal and Orissa coasts is still persists. This weather system together with a smaller circulation over east Uttar Pradesh will act as a catalyst to push the monsoon further north along the Indo-Gangetic plains.
Rain and thundershowers would occur at many places over Sikkim, West Bengal and Orissa during the next twenty four hours. Heavy rain may also occur at one or two places. . Rain will however be a little less intense over Bihar, Jharkhand and east Uttar Pradesh.
An off shore trough is running along the south Konkan to Kerala coasts. These parts of the west coast will receive good rainfall. Rainfall will be light and scattered to the north of Konkan.
There is no fresh surge in southwesterly monsoon winds over south peninsula causing rainfall in south peninsula will remain subdued. The winds are however likely to change over Arabian Sea, a positive signal for rejuvenation of monsoon over peninsula.
Westerly winds are prevailing over northwest India and blocking a relaxation in temperatures by disallowing cooler winds to take charge. North Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, plains of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will continue to reel under intense heat more days to come.

Mid night earthquake jolts Gujarat; no damage to life or property

New Delhi, Wednesday, June 20, An earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale jolted many parts of Gujarat in the wee hours on Wednesday. As per the Indian Meterological Department’s Seismology Centre, the moderate earthquake struck at 01.44.02 am IST with its epicentre at 26 km south south-east of Dholavira in Kutch district. The quake had a depth of 80 km.

Notably, this part of Gujarat fall under high risk zone for quakes. The location of earthquake was 23.631°N, 70.214°E.
Residents of Kutch region that was devastated by a quake in 2001, rushed out of their homes in panic. There were no reports of damage to property or loss of life.

It was also claimed that another round of jolts were felt at 2:12 am, of magnitude 3.0 on Richter scale in the Dholavira area itself. Tremors were felt in the cities of Bhuj, Rapar, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Ahmedabad too, according to officials of the Seismological department.

The entire event has been categorized as a series of earthquakes by the Institute of Seismological Research. The quake measuring 5 on Richter scale was preceded by a milder jolt. This was followed by 27 aftershocks, in the magnitude range of 1 to 3 on the Richter scale, and majority of them were in Kutch and Saurashtra region. Thankfully no harm to property or the life was reported.

Five summer essentials to carry when venturing out

New Delhi, Wednesday, June 20 The relentless Indian summer is here while everyone is looking for ways to survive healthily at such temperatures. Moving out from your home or office without any protection feels like getting roasted or boiled alive under the scorching sun. Do not let the heat spoil your days of summer. We have put together a list of five essentials that you are advised to carry at all times. These essentials would help you face the heat boldly and persevere in you day to day activities.
1) Water: Higher the temperature, greater is the loss of body water. This may lead to dehydration and many other serious ailments during hot summers. The best way to keep all that at bay is to keep your body dehydrated. So, if you are venturing out, carry a water bottle with you. This would allow you to drink water at regular intervals and save you the pain of searching for clean drinking water while you are on the move. Do not wait to feel thirsty, keep drinking in little amounts consistently.
2) Shades: Heat waves are very common during summers, especially in north, central and east India. Your eyes also need protection from heat and dust. Just as the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage the skin, they can also damage the lens and cornea of your eyes. Choose a shade that covers the largest area of the eye so that sun rays cannot sneak in from the sides. Also, look for higher UV protection of both A and B types.
3) Sunscreen lotion: Apply sunscreen to the skin of all exposed body parts to lessen the effects of darkening and damage by UV rays due to prolonged sun exposure. Go for a sunscreen with higher SPF (sun protection factor) and try to include one that has zinc oxides in your consumption. Sunscreens with zinc oxides block more of both UVA and UVB rays. Also, apply after every 2 hours if you are outside as the sunscreen gets washed away by perspiration.
4) Wet tissues: Sweat and dust are a part and parcel of the Indian summer days. As soon you step out of your home and office, you are exposed to a variety of pollutants, germs and SPM (suspended particulate matter). An effective way to handle the deposition of such irritants on your skin is to wipe them off with wet tissues. Keep a scented wet tissue in your bag and feel fresh anytime, anywhere just with a single wipe.
5) Umbrella: The good old umbrella can be a great companion for the hot summer. It covers a huge area of the body and protects it from harmful solar radiation of every kind. The umbrella is ideal when you are walking long distances in the sun and you need a defense against the steady solar onslaught on your body. If there is a sudden downpour and voilà your umbrella saves you from getting soaked too. Try to use lighter shades as they absorb minimum and look cool too.

Mild earthquake felt in Haryana

New Delhi, Tuesday, June 19, A mild earthquake reported 3.8 on the Richter scale has been reported at Haryana. The minor jolts of the earthquake were felt in some parts of Haryana and Delhi. No damage to life and property has been reported from earthquake whose center was Jhajjar (in Haryana).

The earthquake that occurred at 19:30 hours IST was reported by the India Meteorological Department. Interestingly, USGS (United States Geological Survey) does not cover earthquakes that are below 4 on Richter scale outside the United States.

Monsoon reaches Gujarat and Bihar

New Delhi, Tuesday June 19 The southwest monsoon has reached coastal Gujarat on the west and north Bihar in the east. The monsoon has covered most of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and reached Madhya Pradesh as well.

The northern limit of monsoon passes through Veraval, Navsari, Malegaon, Betul, Seoni, Ambikapur, Gaya, Patna and Raxol. The northern limit of monsoon is an imaginary line that connects places where the monsoon has reached at a given point in time.
A cyclonic circulation developing in head Bay of Bengal would help to enhance rainfall activities over Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and also over north Orissa and Chhattisgarh by early next week. A further advancement of monsoon is thus expected over most part of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar over the next week.

The southwesterly surge along north coastal Maharashtra has weakened and the area would receive only light rain but southern parts of the west coast would continue to receive moderate to heavy showers. The off shore trough is still stronger in these parts.

Scattered light rain would continue over southern peninsular India and Madhya Pradesh.

Light to moderate rainfall would continue over northeast India albeit in lesser intensity and spread due to squeeze in the moisture incursion from the Bay.

Easterly winds have reached the foothills of east Uttar Pradesh and humidity has increased over the area. These weather conditions are underscoring the precursor to the onset of southwest monsoon over these parts.

UP university gets its own automatic weather station at its Lucknow campus

New Delhi, Tuesday June 19 Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), based in Lucknow has launched its own automatic weather station that would provide weather information around the clock.

The automatic weather station in BBAU will collect information relating to temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction, solar radiation and atmospheric pressure every hour and would be used by the Center for Physical Sciences to forecast weather. The center will also take inputs from the Indian Space Research Organisation to issue weather forecasts, including that of the arrival of monsoon.

Setting up of automatic weather stations has picked up in the country off late with many private, government and autonomous agencies entering the fray.

Increased awareness regarding weather and easy availability of weather technology at the country’s doorsteps is driving the pursuit for automatic weather stations.

The weather station has been set up by ISRO and is much advanced than other old stations across the state and would provide precise and accurate weather observations. The weather information would be useful for the common people and the student community as well.

The BBAU is one of the youngest central universities in the country and the latest to join the club while Patna University had initiated the process of setting up of an automatic weather station in its campus last year. The weather station was to be put up by the India Meteorological Department.

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) is however leading in India to have already installed a well spread network of automatic weather stations in Tamil Nadu. The university’s weather network was funded by the Agriculture Department in Tamil Nadu and owns the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Weather Network than consists of 224 automatic weather stations. The weather stations gather 10 types of agricultural related weather parameters at hourly intervals. This is also available for consumption by public on its website.

In recent times, the Agriculture Department of Maharashtra has also come forward in this domain in setting up a network of more than 2000 automatic weather stations across Maharashtra. These automatic weather stations would be used to record weather data across the state and use it improve agricultural efficiency.

Unusual South China Sea storm may spoil monsoon party; monsoon may redeem itself early next week

New Delhi, Tuesday June 19 Just when everything seemed going right for the southwest monsoon, a weather system has kicked up a ‘storm’ in the South China Sea and may spoil the party for monsoon’s progress. The cyclonic storm named ‘Talim’ is progressing towards Taiwan. Incidentally, the storms that approach Taiwan are formed off the Philippines and not in the South China Sea, especially this time of the year. This is so because a movement towards Taiwan can only be steered by strong southwesterly winds that are quite an exception in the month of June. The cyclonic storm is likely to hit Taiwan by June 21, moving at a speed of 19 kmph in a northeasterly direction, packing maximum sustained winds of 83 kmph and gusts of up to 108 kmph.

The storm is also expected to peak around June 21, causing maximum rainfall (predictions vary in the range of 1500 mm) during this period. This is the duration for which southwesterly winds entering the Indian peninsula from Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal would be ‘sucked’ away by the South China Sea storm. The enfeebling of the moisture bearing southwesterly winds over the Indian peninsula would pause monsoon’s progress for a couple of days. The break in monsoon though apparently short may be a cause for concern as its advancement is already delayed. There are already reports of lower sowing acreage of many crops sown during the monsoon fed Kharif season due to late arrival or no show by monsoon. This situation, if perseveres may have deep implications for yield and food inflation. The west coast off-shore trough is weakening due to relative dwindling of the monsoon mobilizing southwest winds. This would lead to decrease in rainfall along the west coast including Kerala, Konkan & Goa and Maharashtra. The monsoon would also lessen in intensity over east-northeast India due to a squeeze in moisture feed from the Bay of Bengal. But all ills might be cured by June 23 when the southwesterly winds would resurface with enhanced vigour over the Indian sub-continent. The monsoon might make further headway at the outset of the week to come and also accentuate rainfall over the areas already covered. East Uttar Pradesh is expected to be covered in the fresh progress likely to be made next week. Typically, the monsoon reaches this part of the country by June 15. Meanwhile, good rains in the past few days have reduced the monsoon’s deficiency to 29% (for the period June 1 to 18), down from 42% reported in the past weeks. A cyclonic circulation is seen developing over north Bay of Bengal. Predictions ruled strong of its intensification into a low pressure but the formation and strengthening of ‘Talim’ may now denigrate it. A mild chance though exists for it to live and provide impetus to the monsoon in the eastern sector.







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