IMD to install automatic weather stations in schools, KV to get first

In a bid to create better awareness about various parameters of weather and the equipment used for it, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in a unique initiative will be installing Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) city schools.

Deputy Director General (surface instruments) RD Vashishta said that IMD had invested nearly Rs 20 lakh for the initiative. Our aim is to reach to as many schools as possible. We are talking to other schools as well in different parts of the city,'' he said.

The initiative will commence with Kendriya Vidyalaya Ganeshkhind followed by other schools in the city. From measurement of temperature, wind, humidity the AWS will help the children understand the concepts better.

Besides, IMD is also planning various activities for children that would help them increase their awareness level about weather. "IMD officers will also visit these schools to teach children about various weather parameters. Now, the awareness level is very low. With this initiative we hope to help children understand the concept of measurement of various parameters at a young age,' said Vashishta.

To install the equipment, a 10-meter into 10-meter area is required in the campuses. Besides LV school, the Magarpatta public school, Vidya Valley school, the Bharati Vidyapeeth school in Katraj and schools in Pimpri-Chinchwad area are also being considered by the IMD.

The IMD in their initiatives has also been working towards having AWS in every district in the state to help improve the quality of weather forecasting. The AWS is a portable weather station, which does not require an observer, and are equipped with telemeters to transmit the weather information. An AWS can collect data on rainfall, temperature, wind speed, wind direction and relative humidity and transmit the information via satellite to the ground stations.

Monsoon and Temperature update

Week after we published the monsoon predictions and dates.

Now also we are maintaining the same.

Latest satellite pic shows...Loose cloud formations over the south arabian sea and over 5th parallel are getting organized and big now.

Water vapor channel shot shows...Lot's of moisture is being pumped in from south-arabian sea, these are signs of Monsoon getting organized. Still the upper air current is not strong from south west, this will take time.

Temperature prediction shows... Heat over south-west peninsula will die down after 15-May-09, but the northern and central india will continue to suffer from super heat till the end of this month. More heat over central and northern India will create a more deep LOW over those parts... this system will encourage the monsoon winds from south west.

Scanty rains hit global tea output

original from: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=may0909/at06

Scanty rainfall for the past about six months has affected tea production in the major tea exporting countries - India, Kenya and Sri Lanka. However, due to the comparatively good harvest in North India, which was 39.7 per cent more in January- February this year, Indian tea industry could somehow resist a massive slump in its overall production. The country still recorded a fall of 6.4 per cent in its overall tea production during January-February this year due to adverse weather condition.

Tea industry sources here said that dry weather condition, during the past about six months, has triggered fears of shortfall in global tea output. Global tea output shortfall has also led to rise in the prices of tea. This year, tea price is expected to rise by 10 per cent to 20 per cent, compared to the previous year.

The weather condition has led to the decline in tea production in Kenya by 12.7 per cent during the first two months of the current year, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

During the period, Sri Lanka has emerged as the worst hit country in terms of tea production due to the same factor. The island country witnessed a 41.3 per cent decline in its tea production during the period, said the sources.

In some parts of Assam also, production by the end of April is lower by around 40 per cent. However, rain in the past few days in the State revived the hope of a better crop in May.

Likewise, production in South India is severely hit by the rainless weather condition. Every tea growing region in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka has reported to have been affected by the weather condition.

However, an upward trend in the sale of tea in the North Indian tea auction centres was witnessed between January and March this year, compared to the corresponding period last year. This year prices of tea have also shot up in these auction centres.

For example, sources said, the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) recorded sale of 23.1 million kgs of tea, against 20.9 million kgs last year. Here, per kg of tea fetched on an average, Rs 82.33, against Rs 68.09 last year.

The tea auction centre in Kolkata recorded sale of 32.5 million kgs during the period, compared to 23.3 million kgs in the corresponding period last year. The price of per kg of tea sold in the tea auction centre this year was Rs 89.13, against Rs 74.55 of last year.

The tea auction centre in Siliguri recorded sale of 16.7 million kgs of tea this year, against 15.3 million kgs last year. The price fetched by each kgs of tea sold through the auction centre was Rs 79.24, against Rs 64.52 of last year, said the sources.

Weather bulletin - 9-May-09

Thiruvananthapuram, May 8 A fresh western disturbance is forecast to affect northwest India on Saturday and Sunday, once again capping the mercury seeking to square up after the passing of a predecessor system.

The maximum temperatures on Friday were below normal by 2 to 3 degree Celsius over parts of Madhya Pradesh and northwest India.

These are expected to look up by the same levels over the next two days but that's about how high they would possibly go to, given the fresh incoming westerly system.

DAY'S HIGH

The highest maximum temperature of 44 degree Celsius was recorded at Sambalpur in Orissa. Temperatures were above normal in West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, coastal Orissa and south peninsular India.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its update on Friday that scattered thunderstorms may get activated over the North-East during the next two days and fairly widespread thereafter.

Numerical weather prediction models suggested thunderstorm activity over Uttar Pradesh, east and adjoining central India from Monday to Wednesday.

THUNDERSTORMS

Rain or thundershowers have been forecast at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkhand during the same period and at a few places thereafter.

Isolated dust storm or thunderstorm is likely over Rajasthan and over the rest of the region from Sunday. South Madhya Maharashtra too, will witness unsettled weather along the same lines during the next two days. On Friday, the pre-monsoon trough line or wind discontinuity (where opposing wind regimes merge) ran down from Orissa to south Tamil Nadu through south Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rayalaseema.

This weather feature materialises when northwesterlies from the Arabian Sea get steered round the peninsular tip and become southeasterlies from the Bay of Bengal to waft into the east coast and interior peninsula.

LOCALISED CONVECTION

Moisture transported in fuels localised convection and a line of thunderstorms gets thrown up along the trough/wind discontinuity. This is how the pre-monsoon thunderstorms/squalls set themselves up along a north-south corridor over the peninsula.

Towards the east, rain or thundershowers have been forecast at isolated places over West Bengal, Sikkim, Orissa, Jharkhand and the North-East.

In the South, rain or thundershowers are likely at a few places over Kerala, coastal and south interior Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, north interior Karnataka and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

MORE RAIN

The Regional Met Centre, Chennai, said in its update that rainfall occurred at a few places over Kerala and north interior Karnataka. Isolated rainfall occurred over Tamil Nadu and south interior Karnataka. Rentachintala recorded the highest maximum temperature of 45 degree Celsius. Forecast for the next two days said that rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at a few places over Kerala and interior Karnataka. Isolated rain or thundershowers are likely to occur over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, coastal Karnataka, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep. Heat wave conditions prevailed at isolated places in coastal Orissa and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

BAY WINDS

Winds are southwesterly over the Bay of Bengal and have clocked speeds of 30 km/hr at their best. Rains were traced over the open seas east of Sri Lanka. The winds are forecast to become more southerly in the Bay around May 15 carrying surplus moisture.

Over the southwest coast (Kerala), the winds were northwesterly to westerly on Friday. Satellite pictures showed loosely organised clusters of cloud just over the equator.

South west monsoon will set in on 20-May-09...!!

Here's a detailed analysis of south west monsoon onset prediction.

All GFS and other forecasts suggest that the monsoon will set in over southern India between 17-May-09 and 23-May-09.

Latest "water vapour" satellite shot suggests the stream of heavy water vapour has started moving in from South-west... this means that the south-west air current is also picking up.

Latest MJO predictions also coincide with the present predicted date of 20-May-09. Take a look at the WET phase moving in over southern India from 15-May-09.

Even the NCEP long range predictions also suggest a WET phase from 15-May-09 to 23-May-09.

We'll keep tracking the changes and will update this site... at this point of time the monsoon is tentatively predicted to set in over southern India on 20-May-09

Chennai - weather events during past 10 years in the month of MAY

Extreme Weather Events During Past 10 Years in the Month Of MAY :-

Year	Temperature(°C)		24 hours Highest Rainfall(mm)(Date)	Total Rainfall for the month(mm)
	Highest Maximum(Date)	Lowest Minimum(Date)
2008	42.1 (16)	26.3 (13)	0.3 (22)	0.3
2007	43.0 (16)	27.5 (4)	0.1(9)	0.1
2006	41.8(1)	23.9 (26)	17.2(26)	17.2
2005	41.3 (12)	22.2 (2)	30.6(2)	30.9
2004	39.3 (14)	24.2 (3)	69.3(4)	210.6
2003	45.0 (31)	25.0 (14)	0.5 (14)	0.5
2002	43.4 (12)	25.9 (30)	11.0 (17)	17.5
2001	43.1 (13)	24.2 (22)	11.5 (22)	18.9
2000	42.2 (15,16)	22.5 (4)	10.6 (9)	21.2
1999	39.8 (10)	24.9(15)	7.4 (15)	12.1
ALL TIME RECORD:	45.0(21,1910 & 31, 2003)	21.1(14,1886)	244.3(22,1952)	408.5(1990)

Snowfall in Chennai

SO, what if heat is taking a toll on you? You can still relish in the cold weather rather in snow. Wonder, where you would find snow in this scorching summer here? Head to Snow World at Abhirami Mega Mall. The spacious place takes you to a world of snow that makes you to forget the heat. The snow world is made of 50 tonne snow that is made from purified mineral water that are kept frozen in -10 degree celsius. This first of its kind snow world has special effects to haunt you. It has a thunder and lighting effects. Besides that it can drench you in a snowfall with its 140-kilometre speed snowstorm. There is also a 50 feet high fiery slide, which not just kids, but elders too can slide and have a great fun. Though, there is nothing that can stop a person at the end of the slide, when a person slides down, the person might only hit the iron rods that acts as a fence to the automatic fan that creates the snowstorm.

There are also the ice sculptures (crystal museum) that one can watch and enjoy besides the large Eskimo house that kids can play in besides making ice balls, playing in the snow and taking a ride on the wooden sledge. For a fee of Rs 150, a person gets a thermal coat and boots that can keep you warm. One can spend 20 minutes and once you get out of the snow world, you are given a hot cup of coffee to get you back to the normal temperature. Once you visit the place you get a passport that will have discount coupons that one can use when they revisit and avail discount for the entry fee.

Network of Research Buoys in Indian Ocean to Improve Monsoon Prediction

Indian Ocean Buoy.(Credit: NOAA)

A new array of moored buoys in the Indian Ocean will provide critical climate and ocean data to help scientists predict the dramatic variations between seasonal monsoon rains and droughts.

"The data from these buoys will provide us with much-needed information to advance our understanding of the oceanic and atmospheric processes that govern the monsoons," said Michael McPhaden, an oceanographer at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle. "We want to improve computer models for seasonal forecasting to benefit farming communities and other weather-sensitive sectors of society."

McPhaden and nine co-authors from Australia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States describe the Research Moored Array for African-Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis and Prediction (RAMA) in the April 2009 Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. The paper's co-authors represent a range of monsoon-affected nations that support the array and participate in monsoon research.

The array was established to collect important oceanographic and meteorological data from the Indian Ocean, which is "the most poorly observed and least well understood of the three tropical oceans," write the authors.

Instruments on the moored buoys measure winds, air temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, water temperature, salinity, and ocean currents. These data characterize the movement of mass and energy throughout the Indian Ocean basin and are essential for developing better monsoon computer forecast models.

Monsoon rains in Africa, southern Asia, and Australia are critical for growing the food that supports a third of the world's population. However, these seasonal rains are irregular, sometimes leaving an area parched by drought in one year and inundated by floods in the next year. The ability for scientists to accurately predict monsoon conditions even one season into the future would greatly improve farmers' chances for successful harvests.

"Data from RAMA helps farmers make informed decisions on a range of practices such as cropping programs, fertilizer and spray applications, and the number of animals to keep on their property," according to the authors. "This helps them better cope with climate-related risks and capitalize on the opportunities."

In addition to improving prediction of the monsoons, "conditions in the Indian Ocean have a long-range effect on North American weather and climate, so RAMA will pay dividends in our own back yard as well," said McPhaden.

By the end of 2008, instruments had been deployed at 22 of the RAMA mooring sites. Contributing organizations intend to complete the full array of 46 moorings by 2012.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

Clouds preparing for the monsoon

Going by the present prevailing wind pattern and other parameters. And by looking at the latest FULL satellite pic, it seems the "Monsoon" is getting cooked along the 5th Parallel over South-Arabian sea.

More cloud formations can be seen over Andaman sea.

Latest "Total percipitable water" chart also shows a increase in "energy" along the 5th parallel of south-arabian sea.

South west monsoon - predicted much earlier

Take a look at the latest NCEP percipitation forecast.

This suggests more rain activity (Monsoon like activity) to the South-west coast around 20-May-09.