Weather in India.2019 and up

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An endangered Himalayan settlement has dropped 5.4cm in days

The Indian town of Joshimath, known as a gateway to the Himalayas, sank by 5.4cm, sometime between late December and early January, the Indian space agency has reported. The popular tourist destination, at an altitude of over 6,000 ft (1800 meters), is prone to subsidence, partially due to infrastructure development.

A report by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released on Wednesday detailed changes detected by satellite observation of Joshimath, revealing that a rapid subsidence event had taken place sometime between December 27, 2022 and January 8, 2023.

The region's chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, ordered a mass evacuation after a 603 buildings in the town were found to have deep cracks.

Recorded elevation changes varied between 1 and 5.4cm, the data shows. ISRO observations over the past year have detected a slow subsidence of up to 9cm over a period of nine months, the report said.

Joshimath is located in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand on the slope of a hill and is a popular destination for pilgrims and tourists who visit the areas many temples.

However, the settlement sits atop inherently fragile Himalayan geology and a treacherous environment. Thousands of people have been killed over decades by natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, flash floods, and avalanches. The Uttarakhand floods in February 2021 alone claimed over 80 lives.

Subsidence has affected Joshimath for some time, with the impact magnified by the depletion of groundwater for irrigation and the rapid development of infrastructure, including the construction of hydropower plants, according to scientists.

https://www.sott.net/article/476271-Indian-space-agency-satellite-observation-reports-Himalayan-town-rapidly-sinking

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Sudeep Lavania
India Today
Sun, 03 Mar 2024 14:36 UTC
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At least 37 people were killed in rain-related incidents across Pakistan in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Sunday.

The rains that have swept across Pakistan have led to the collapse of houses and triggered landslides that blocked roads, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, they said.

At least 27 people, mostly children, reportedly died in rain-related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan since Thursday night, the provincial disaster management authority said.


https://www.sott.net/article/489459-Rain-kills-at-least-37-within-48-hours-in-Pakistan-Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa-worst-hit

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Indian cities such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Chandbali, Paradeep, and Baripada are posting very low temperatures, breaking historical benchmarks.

On Wednesday, a host of locales across the eastern state of Odisha endured their coldest-ever March days.

Bhubaneswar posted a max of just 19.2C (66.6F) yesterday, smashing the previous record of 24.3C (75.7F) set back on March 6, 1970, and so making for the city's coldest-ever March day.

Likewise in Chandbali, thermometers struggled to 21C (69.8F), eclipsing the old record of 22.9C (73.2F) set on March 7, 1970.

Elsewhere, Cuttack reported a historic 20C (68F) which comfortably bested the 23.6C (74.5F) also set more than five decades ago.

With 20.4C (68.7F), Puri broke its previous low-max from 1989.

And even on the coast, Paradeep experienced a high of 20.7C (69.3F), breaking the previous record of 21.9C (71.4F) set on March 10, 2015.

While in Baripada, the mercury plummeted to 20.4C (78.7F), shredding the 22.3C (72.1F) from March 5, 1970.

India's cold has been aided by the snow-laden ground up north, over which descending polar air has been able to maintain its chill. Below is a look at the Atal Tunnel which runs under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Himalayas:
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/record-breaking-cold-grips-indian

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On Thursday, a number of locales in the eastern Indian state of Odisha experienced their coldest-ever April days, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.

The likes of Angul, Titlagarh, Sambalpur, and Hirakud were among those to log their lowest-ever maximum temperature in the month of April, in books dating as far back as the 1920s.

As per the IMD data:


Titlagarh's 24C (75.2F) smashed the previous record of 28.5C (83.3F) set on April 4, 2008 (with books dating back to 1952);

Sambalpur's 25.7C (78.3F) equaled the previous low set April 7, 2018 (books also to 1952);

Hirakud's 26.1C (79F) bested the 'old' low set just last year, on April 22, 2023 (data since 1973);

And Angul's 26.7C (80.1F) beat the previous record by 1C, set April 6, 2008 (books extending to 1921).

You'll note that each of the previous records were set relatively recently, jarring with the AGW Party's theory of 'forever hotter'. What this actually supports is the recent IITM study that found 'cold wave days' (when the temp reaches 10C or lower, or is 4.5C below an area's average) are increasing across India, from 2-to-5 cold wave days per decade between 1951-2011, to almost 5-15 days in the last decade (ending 2021).

Extreme cold waves are increasing across India “despite global warming”, contends the study (more here).
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/another-three-avalanche-deaths-in

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Parts of northwest India are experiencing severe heatwave conditions on Saturday, May 18, 2024, with the capital New Delhi under a Red alert as very high temperatures strike parts of the country. The India Meteorological Department has issued warnings for several states, anticipating persistent heat wave conditions over the next 5 days.

A severe heatwave has gripped northwest India this week, including the capital New Delhi where a Red alert is in effect as extreme temperatures sweep through. The forecast calls for a gradual rise in temperatures over the next few days in Central India, East India, and Maharashtra, with heatwave conditions expected to persist in specific pockets across different states.

https://watchers.news/2024/05/18/delhi-under-red-alert-heatwave-northwest-india/

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Indian capital swelters as temperature hits all-time high of 52.9 Celsius
Sakshi Dayal and Priyanshu Singh
Reuters
Wed, 29 May 2024 10:58 UTC
A woman shields her child from the sun during a heat wave in New Delhi on Wednesday.
© Money Sharma/AFP
A woman shields her child from the sun during a heat wave in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Delhi recorded an all-time high temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius (127.22 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday as extreme heat conditions gripped the north and western parts of India, causing students to faint in schools and drinking water taps to dry up.

A heat wave alert has been in place for large parts of India since last week but on Wednesday the temperature in Mungeshpur, a densely packed corner of Delhi, crossed the 50 C mark, the weather office said.

The Indian capital has had temperatures of over 45 C in previous years but never gone as high as 52.9 C.

Streets in Mungeshpur in northwest Delhi were deserted and most shops were shut as people stayed indoors to avoid the searing heat, while residents handed out free cold drinks in Narela after temperatures went up to 49.9 C on Tuesday.



"When we go outside it seems like someone is slapping our faces. It has become difficult to live in Delhi," said resident Akash Nirmal.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said it is examining the data and sensors to look into Mungeshpur's temperature which was an outlier compared to other stations.

"There is so much heat in Delhi that students are fainting, some are falling sick, some are facing dehydration. The students are facing a lot of trouble in this heat. The fans don't work in our institutions," said Nidhi, a student, who gave only their first name.

An unusual transition from El Nino to La Nina and the lack of winds bringing moisture, has resulted in prolonged heating, leading to record temperatures, Gufran Beig, chair professor at the Indian Institute of Science told Reuters.

El Nino is the warming of Pacific waters that is typically accompanied by drier conditions over the Indian subcontinent while La Nina is characterised by unusually cold temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
https://www.sott.net/article/491871-Indian-capital-swelters-as-temperature-hits-all-time-high-of-52-9-Celsius

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Twelve persons were killed by lightning in different locations in East Burdwan and Bankura in the last two days.

Four others suffered shocks from lightning and were admitted to hospitals. The heavily parched districts have been witnessing multiple flashes of lightning and thunderclaps being heard during late afternoon since Monday.

East Burdwan recorded eight lightning deaths in the last two days and four deaths were reported from Bankura. Most of the casualties occurred while villagers were tending to cattle either in their farmlands or at their courtyards. Bijoy Ghosh (55) and Ajit Ghosh (59), brothers from Kanaidanga village and Jillal Molla (62) of Thyangapara village, both within Mongalkote PS limits in East Burdwan, died instantly after being struck by lightning. At Sakona village in Mongalkote, a housewife Robina Biwi (37) also died of lightning. Sasti Singh (46) of Gagra village in Nadanghat PS area, Kalna, a fisherman by profession also died instantly when lightning struck his boat.

At Bankura, Mejia and Joypur PS areas in Bankura, three persons, identified as Purnima Bauri (33) of Akurabaid village, Tripti Sarkar (61) of Tarapur village and Jony Sheikh (25) of Jujura village died due to thunderbolt, yesterday. Rameswar Murmu (64) of Ramgarh in Simlapal PS area also died when lightning struck him at his farmland on Monday.
https://www.sott.net/article/492220-Lightning-strikes-kill-12-over-2-days-in-West-Bengal-India

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More than 20 people were killed, homes washed away and hundreds left stranded as torrential rains triggered landslides and caused rivers to swell in parts of north India. With many missing, rescuers raced against time, scrambling through uprooted trees and collapsed buildings to look for survivors.

Down south, the death toll in the devastating landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district climbed to 177 on Thursday, with authorities saying that it could increase further as rescue operations are still under way.

Heavy overnight rain in Uttarakhand claimed 12 lives flattened homes and left several areas submerged.

Haridwar district reported six deaths, Tehri three, Dehradun two and Chamoli one. Two persons, one each in Haldwani and Chamoli, are missing, the Disaster Control Room said.



Water entered many homes in Dehradun and roads at various places in the city were waterlogged. Many colonies and markets in Bhupatwala, Haridwar, Naya Haridwar, Kankhal and Jwalapur were also flooded.

Three members of a family -- Bhanu Prasad (50), his wife Neelam Devi (45) and their son Vipin (28) -- were killed in a landslide triggered by a cloudburst at Jakhanyali village in Tehri, the officials said.

They said 450 pilgrims bound for Kedarnath were stranded beyond Bhimbali along the Gaurikund-Kedarnath trek route after 20-25 metres of the stretch was washed away by heavy rain.

The pilgrims stranded on the trek route to Kedarnath are being brought to an emergency helipad, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on Facebook.

Dhami visited the disaster management centre in Dehradun on Thursday morning to review the situation across the state and asked officials to remain alert.

In Rudraprayag district, the Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers were flowing close to the danger mark.

Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local administration have been deployed in the affected areas of the state, the officials said.

Neighbouring Himachal Pradesh also reeled under monsoon fury as multiple cloudburst incidents killed five people and left about 50 missing. Homes, roads and bridges were swept away by torrents of mud and water.

The state emergency operation centre said the cloudbursts occurred in Nirmand, Sainj and Malana areas in Kullu district, Padhar in Mandi and Rampur district in Shimla district.

The Manali-Chandigarh National Highway has been damaged at several places due to landslides, an official said.

According to officials, teams of NDRF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), police and home guards had launched rescue operations and drones were being used to locate missing persons.

A breach was also reported in Malana Dam in Kullu but the situation is under control, the officials said.

Some people are stuck in the Malana I hydropower project. They are in underground buildings and safe and NDRF and home guard teams are trying to rescue them, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, Torul S Raveesh, told PTI.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and took stock of the situation. Shah assured him of all help from the Centre.

Heavy rains have lashed parts of Himachal Pradesh since Wednesday evening. Palampur received the highest rainfall in the state at 212 mm, according to the meteorological department.

Chauri received 203 mm of rainfall, Dharamshala 183.2 mm, Jogindernagar 161 mm, Kangra 150 mm, Sujanpur Tira 142 mm, Baijnath 135 mm, Shimla 64.6 mm, Sainj 61 mm and Bilaspur 56 mm.

The Shimla meteorological centre has issued a 'red alert' for heavy to extremely heavy rain along with thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in the state's Kangra, Kullu and Mandi districts on Thursday. It also warned of landslides, mudslides and land sinking.


https://www.sott.net/article/493639-Monsoon-mayhem-Over-20-killed-as-rains-trigger-landslides-flooding-in-parts-of-north-India-8-inches-of-rain-in-24-hours