Weather Forecast Report, Cyclone Kyarr: Since Monday, the air pollution level Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Punjab, were between “poor” to “severe” categories.
Weather forecast Today: The visibility was low on Wednesday due to thick smog in several north Indian cities even three days after Diwali on Wednesday. In Delhi, the air quality plummeted to “severe” with major pollutants PM 2.5 at 500 (severe) and PM 10 at 379 (very poor), in Lodhi Road area, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data. Since Monday, the air pollution levels in Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Punjab have been between “poor” to “severe” categories.
On the other hand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala and Lakshadweep and heavy rainfall at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalseema. Owing to heavy rainfall, all the educational institutions in Ramanathapuram and schools in Madurai district will remain closed on Wednesday.
Also, Kyarr, the ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ over West-central and adjoining East-central and north Arabian Sea, moved northwestwards with a speed of four kmph during the past six hours. It is very likely to weaken into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ by Thursday morning. The IMD has issued an advisory to fishermen to avoid venturing into east-central Arabian Sea till Wednesday morning and west-central Arabian Sea till November 2.
Weather Forecast Report, Cyclone Kyarr: Anand Vihar was the most polluted area in the capital with an AQI of 464 and Wazirpur following with an AQI of 430. (Express photo Tashi Tobgyal)
Himachal Pradesh may receive rains and snowfall from November 1 to 3, the meteorological department said.
The share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution has risen to 35 per cent, the season's highest and the hazardous haze surrounding the city can be attributed to that, said SAFAR, the air quality monitor of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. A marginal improvement in the air quality in the city is expected on Thursday, when an increased wind speed will help disperse pollutants faster.
A depression over Comorin areas is expected to intensify into a Deep Depression by today evening and will move in the northwest direction over Lakshadweep area. This weather system would intensify into cyclone 'Maha' during the next 48 hours, moving in a northwest direction away from the Indian coast and bringing in heavy rains over Tamil Nadu, Rayalseema, Karnataka and Kerala, Skymet Weather said.
Stubble burning continued in parts of Punjab on Wednesday.
Scattered rain is likely to continue over western, south and southeastern parts of Rajasthan till November 2, Skymet Weather predicted.
IMD issued an orange alert in Trivandrum, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki and Malappuram districts. A yellow alert was sounded in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Thrissur, Palakkas, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts for today.
Pollution levels continued to be in the 'severe' category on Wednesday as a blanket of smog wrapped Delhi. Visuals from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Terminal 3 today morning.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the major reason for the deteriorating air quality is the increased crop stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. This was made worse by the bursting of firecrackers on Diwali. Delhi has seen windy weather over the past few days, which helps in dispersing pollution, but also brings in more pollutants from its northwest. Read more here
The visibility was low due to thick smog in Chandigarh on Tuesday, first time in this season. Weather department officials said, “No movement in the air, pollution due to firecrackers in Diwali and stubble burning in neighbouring areas said to be reasons behind the low visibility. It will continue for one or two days.” Surinder Paul, director of Meteorological Department, Chandigarh, said, “This season, first time low visibility was reported due to the thick smog. When air will improve and winds start, it will clear automatically. We have not reported any major improvement in Air Quality Index in the last 48 hours.” Read more here
Paddy crop residue burning reached its highest figure in the ongoing post-harvest season in Punjab on October 28, with 3,105 fires reported from across the state. While the annual figure of crop burning in 2019 is less than 2017 and 2018, the phenomenon is adding to air pollution. Cities like Chandigarh, Jalandhar and New Delhi have been gasping for breath, with Diwali firecrackers making matters worse.
Andhra has received light showers over the past 24-hours and the weather is likely to continue today as well. According to the IMD, heavy rains accompanied with thundershowers are forecast the state capital today evening. The maximum temperature will on Tuesday was 30.2 degrees Celcius while the minimum temperature was 21.6 degrees Celcius.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued Red Alert in Lakshadweep for two days and Orange Alert in 6 districts of Kerala, as extremely heavy rains expected in the area. Also, Yellow Alert issued in Thrissur and Palakkad districts.
The Well Marked Low Pressure Area over Lakshadweep-Maldives and adjoining Comorin concentrated into a depression over Maldives-Comorin around 5:30 am today. It is likely to move northwestwards across Lakshadweep Islands and intensify into a deep depression during the next 24 hours. Under the influence of this system, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Lakshadweep.
Parts of Kerala are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall today under the influence of a Depression between Maldives and Lakshadweep, which is likely to intensify into a Deep Depression in the next 24 hours. Isolated parts of Kerala will witness thunderstorms with lightning, squally winds and the sea condition is likely to be rough.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Puducherry, also thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is predicted for the region, according to the latest IMD bulletin.
The record-breaking rainfall this monsoon season, particularly during August and September, has left weather scientists confounded. After a more than 30% shortfall in June, the season ended with 10% excess rainfall, the first time such a thing has happened since 1931. In the search for answers, one phenomenon attracting some attention is the Indian Ocean Dipole or IOD, an ocean-atmosphere interaction similar to El Niño, but in the Indian Ocean. What is this phenomenon? Amitabh Sinha explains.
Owing to heavy rainfall, all the educational institutions in Ramanathapuram and schools in Madurai district will remain closed on Wednesday.
Citing data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board, senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey said the state had recorded 12,027 incidents of stubble burning till October 27 this year, up from 9,600 during the same period last year. “This…led to the spike in pollution (in Delhi) but neither the Centre nor the governments of the neighbouring states did anything,” he said.
The ruling AAP said the Delhi government cannot fight the rising pollution levels till the Centre, Punjab and Haryana take stern action. AAP leader Atishi said the Delhi government and its agencies worked relentlessly to bring down pollution levels. “But the issue cannot be resolved till the time the Centre, Punjab and Haryana come together and take stern action against stubble burning. Delhi alone cannot combat this pollution,” she told reporters.
The Delhi government said in a statement that the latest NASA images show a drastic spurt in crop residue burning in the neighbouring states. The stubble plume from north-west regions has become one of the significant factors adversely affecting Delhi’s air quality. “Stubble fire counts of Haryana and Punjab have increased from 1,654 to 2,577 during past 24 hours,” it stated.
As the air quality in Delhi entered the second-worst ‘severe’ category on Tuesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed “with folded hands” to Punjab and Haryana to take concrete steps against stubble burning to prevent the national capital from becoming a “gas chamber”. Punjab and Haryana have recorded an increase of at least 2,400 farm fires, which are a major contributor to the air pollution in Delhi, since last year, according to official data.
The skies over the national capital were a smoky grey on Tuesday as the sun struggled to shine through the haze with the air quality deteriorating and slipping into the "severe" category in the city and the adjoining areas. At 8 pm, the city's overall air quality index was 414 -- worse than Monday's AQI of 397 at 8 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
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Welcome to our LIVE blog. In Delhi, the air quality has plummeted to “severe” today with major pollutants PM 2.5 at 500 (severe) and PM 10 at 379 (very poor), in Lodhi Road area, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data. Follow to get all the latest updates on weather here!