Weather Forecast Report: A hazy view of the Yamuna, Thursday. (Express photo: Tashi Tobgyal)
Weather forecast Today HIGHLIGHTS: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest weather forecast said that Southwest monsoon has further withdrawn from most parts of Punjab, entire Haryana including Chandigarh and Delhi, some parts of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan as well. Heavy rainfall is expected across Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura for the next 24 hours and over south peninsular India during the next two to three days. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning is also likely over east, northeast and peninsular India in the coming days.
Heavy rain lashed Kolkata city Thursday, leading to water-logging of several thoroughfares and affecting traffic movement. The Met department has warned of downpour in south Bengal till Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality nosedived to ‘very poor’ Thursday with a change in wind direction and accumulation of pollutants after effigies were burnt on Dussehra. Over the next two days, air quality is expected to dip further with the monsoon retreat at this time.
Patna: Peoples sit on a makeshift boat to cross the flood-affected area of Sakha Maidan following heavy monsoon rainfall, in Patna, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019. (PTI Photo)
According to Skymet Weather, Mumbai rains have returned with Santa Cruz Observatory recording 8 mm of rainfall in a span of 21 hours. The suburbs of the city such as Badlapur, Kandivali and adjoining area received intense rain and thundershower activities. The meteorologists at Skymet have predicted more showers for the city, mostly patchy in nature for another 24 to 48 hours. A major amount of rainfall would be recorded during the late afternoon, evening or night hours. These showers would be short-lived and localised and would occur as a result of the development of convective clouds.
In Chennai, there is no possibility of rain for the next four to five days, Skymet Weather reported. Rains may increase slightly around October 16. During that time, no heavy downpour is expected. But there may be a few light to moderate spells which will bring down the temperatures of Chennai and the weather may become somewhat comfortable.
Traffic on the road leading to Seawoods station from Sector 50 came to a standstill on Thursday morning after a large number of mangrove moth caterpillars rained down from trees on vehicles and pedestrians. Several eyewitnesses likened the brownish-black larvae or caterpillars shower to “heavy, black-coloured rain”. The larvae of mangrove moths are not usually seen in October. Experts said their prevalence in large numbers could be a consequence of climate change.
While the recent waterlogging crippled several parts of Patna, Jan Adhikar Party chief and former Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav was seen wading through waist-deep water to provide food and milk packets to marooned people of Kankerbagh and Rajendra Nagar. Yadav, a five-time MP, was seen holding two medical camps in Kankerbagh and Rajendra Nagar along with a team of private doctors, and giving first-aid kits and screening patients for dengue. In the last four days, 11 patients tested positive for dengue and are getting free treatment.
Delhi has managed to clean its air significantly as compared to seven years ago, data shows. This September was the cleanest in nine years.
Monsoon began retreating Wednesday after the longest recorded delay. The retreat at this time is also going to impact the air quality negatively.“Conditions are becoming favourable for further withdrawal from parts of North West India and adjoining Central India during the next four-five days. Late monsoon withdrawal is not good for air quality in North India. During the third and fourth week of October, temperature will also start to drop… The anticyclone… will make the atmosphere very stable with significantly calm surface winds. Both will lead to stagnant weather conditions which favour rapid fine particulate matter formation and accumulation of pollutants. The situation becomes bad if it is encountered with any additional internal (like firecrackers) or external (like stubble) emission source,” SAFAR officials said.
“Wind speed continues to be slow and variable with predominant direction from the west. Under these conditions, air quality is predicted to deteriorate… Indications of increased fire activity during the last 48 hours are visible from satellite imagery and further deterioration of AQI is expected for the next two days,” a statement issued by SAFAR said.
Senior IMD officials said the wind direction had changed and more pollutants were being carried into the city from the North West, where seasonal crop stubble burning is underway against efforts from the Punjab and Haryana governments. Officials at SAFAR said that among the reasons for the dip was the retreating South West monsoon. During the monsoon season, moisture-laden winds from Eastern India pass through Delhi. As monsoon retreats, the pattern changes to westerly winds, which, at this time of the year, bring pollutants to the city. Calm local winds also aid accumulation of particulate matter.
According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data, major pollutants PM 2.5 were registered at 185 in 'Moderate' category and PM 10 at 201 in 'Poor' category, in Lodhi Road area. Smog was seen in the skies of the national capital today, ANI reported.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality nosedived to ‘very poor’ Thursday with a change in wind direction and accumulation of pollutants after effigies were burnt on Dussehra. Over the next two days, air quality is expected to dip further with the monsoon retreat at this time.
Heavy rain lashed Kolkata city on Thursday, leading to water-logging of several thoroughfares and affecting traffic movement. The Met department has warned of downpour in south Bengal till Friday morning.
Heavy rainfall is expected across Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura for the next 24 hours and over south peninsular India during the next two to three days. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning is also likely over east, northeast and peninsular India in the coming days.
The India Meteorological Department in its latest weather forecast said that Southwest monsoon has further withdrawn from most parts of Punjab, entire Haryana including Chandigarh and Delhi, some parts of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan as well.