Akshit Sangomla

3 weeks ago | downtoearth.org.in | Akshit Sangomla

On the night of May 14, 2025, Delhi and its surrounding areas such as Gurgaon were enshrouded in a thick layer of dust around 10 pm. This led to poor air quality and health conditions such as eye irritations. The dust came from Rajasthan and was picked up by strong surface winds. The situation in many areas has continued into May 15, with the Sirifort air quality monitoring station of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) measuring air quality index as high as 389 around 4 pm on May 15.

3 weeks ago | downtoearth.org.in | Akshit Sangomla

The year 2024 was the warmest or second-warmest year on record for Africa along with devastating floods, droughts and marine heat waves, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of Climate in Africa 2024 report, released on May 12, 2024. The extreme weather and other impacts raise serious concerns for the continent’s food and economic security.

3 weeks ago | downtoearth.org.in | Akshit Sangomla

The Southwest Monsoon (SWM) may likely advance into the South Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and some parts of southeast Bay of Bengal by May 13, 2025, according to the latest update from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on May 11. On May 10, the weather agency predicted that the SWM may onset over Kerala on May 27, four days earlier than the normal onset date of June 1. On April 15, the IMD had stated that SWM in 2025 is likely to bring above normal to excess rainfall.

1 month ago | downtoearth.org.in | Akshit Sangomla

To conduct their simulations, the researchers used an atmospheric circulation model developed at Princeton University. This model allowed them to isolate atmospheric processes from slower-changing components of the Earth system, such as the oceans. The results highlighted a self-reinforcing pattern in monsoon behaviour. For instance, if it is already raining in a place, it will likely continue to rain. Conversely, dry conditions make it harder to initiate rainfall, the authors noted.

1 month ago | htsyndication.com | Akshit Sangomla

New Delhi, May 7 -- Monsoon systems around the world - including India's southwest monsoon, which delivers over 70 per cent of the country's annual rainfall - possess physical memories in the form of stored water vapour, according to a study published on May 6, 2025 in the journal PNAS by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany.