Explained: What's causing relentless rain in Uttarakhand, Himachal, J&K, UP
In technical terms, this is a classic case of enhanced convection — where warm, moist air is lifted swiftly into the upper atmosphere, where it cools, condenses, and releases intense rainfall.The combined effect of the monsoon trough at the surface and the upper-level WD has created a weather pattern conducive to persistent, widespread, and intense rain across the Himalayan belt and adjoining plains. This meteorological setup not only increases rainfall totals but also raises the risk of flooding, landslides, and other rain-related hazards, particularly in vulnerable hill districts.Authorities are closely monitoring the evolving conditions as the heavy spell continues to batter several parts of North India.- EndsMust Watch
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Aug gets 40 mm more rain than usual in first 6 days; Met spies heavier spells today
1 2 Kolkata: While July ended on a high rain note, Aug is off to a bumper beginning. In the first six days of the month, the city has logged 113.9 mm of rainfall against the normal of 73.9 mm for the period. The Met office has forecast further rain in the coming days, which will increase the month's rain total. Meteorologically, Aug is considered the second wettest monsoon month, with an estimated normal rain count of 364 mm in Kolkata. This time, in the first six days alone, the city has received a little above one-third of this monthly cumulative rain amount. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata "By the sixth day of the month, Kolkata should have ideally got 73.9 mm of rainfall. However, it has recorded 113.9 mm of rainfall already," said meteorologist H R Biswas, head of the weather forecast section at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata. While a delayed onset and a sluggish monsoon flow led to June ending with a rain deficit of 15%, with Kolkata receiving only 241.5 mm of rainfall, July ended on a record-breaking note with a cumulative rain of 669 mm, making it the rainiest July in a decade. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Best Method for a Flat Stomach After 50 (It's Genius!) Lulutox Undo It also made up for the June rain deficit. "Currently, the city's seasonal rain surplus stands at 38%, while for south Bengal, it is 46% excess," Biswas said. Climatologically, Aug should have a mean of 16.9 rainy days. So far, all six days have recorded rain, the highest being 44.5 mm between Monday and Tuesday evening, with the spells happening mostly at night and early morning. Though the monsoon trough has now shifted towards the Himalayan foothills, causing more intense rain in parts of north Bengal, the trough that runs from northwest Bihar to southeast Bangladesh across northern parts of Gangetic Bengal, along with an upper air cyclonic circulation, is bringing showers to Kolkata and other parts of south Bengal. "Widespread light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall activity is very likely over some districts of Bengal," a special IMD bulletin said. Met officials in Kolkata said the intensity and spread of rain are likely to be greater on Thursday. The rain spells forced the maximum temperature to dip to 29.2°C, 2.8 notches below normal. At 23.5°C, the minimum was three notches below normal.
NDTV
7 hours ago
- NDTV
Melting Glaciers, Fragile Slopes, Human Hubris: What Led To Uttarakhand's Tragedy
Five dead, dozens missing. Was it a cloudburst or a glacial lake outburst? Experts say the Uttarakhand flash floods reflect the escalating impact of climate change on the Himalayas, where shifting monsoon patterns, glacier melt, and unchecked construction converge to amplify such extreme weather risks. Climate Change Fuels Extreme Weather Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of such events to rising temperatures and humidity. "With the axis of the monsoon trough running through the foothills of the Himalayas, we had already predicted a red alert for Uttarakhand," said Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet Weather. "While the affected region is prone to cloudbursts, such a turn of events is due to the climate change-led rise in temperatures. A huge influx of moisture from the abnormal warming of oceans increases the capacity of the air to hold more water vapour. The Himalayas act as barriers, which give rise to vertically developed convective clouds, known as Cumulonimbus clouds. Sometimes, the vertical height of such clouds might even reach up to 50,000 feet. These clouds are like a column of water, which, when restricted due to topography like the mountains, can lead to the release of water over a smaller area in a shorter duration." A recent study highlights how spring land heating in the Middle East, warming at twice the global average, is pushing south-westerly winds northward, intensifying rainfall over northwest India and Pakistan. "The rapid warming over the Middle East and the Mediterranean is a signature of global warming," said Dr Raghu Murtugudde, Climate Scientist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Maryland. "This regional warming has been pulling the southwestern winds northward over the Arabian Sea. There is excess moisture being pumped into the Himalayan foothills. Because of this northward shift of the south-westerly winds, we might end up with more heavy rainfall events all the way into Himachal Pradesh and Leh Ladakh before the season is over." This shift, driven by the low-level jet (LLJ) transporting moisture from the Arabian Sea, is amplifying atmospheric instability, leading to unprecedented rainfall in regions like Uttarakhand. The study notes a 46% increase in intensified rainfall over northwest India and Pakistan from 1979 to 2022, a trend likely to persist. Glacier Melt and Landslide Risks The Himalayas are warming at three times the global average, accelerating glacier melt and destabilising mountain slopes. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences (2023), Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers are retreating at an average rate of 14.9 ± 15.1 meters per year, with variations across basins: 12.7 ± 13.2 meters in the Indus, 15.5 ± 14.4 meters in the Ganga, and 20.2 ± 19.7 meters in the Brahmaputra. Karakoram glaciers remain relatively stable, but in the Garhwal Himalaya, retreat rates vary significantly, with Dokriani Glacier receding at 15-20 meters annually and Chorabari Glacier at 9-11 meters. This rapid melt is filling glacial lakes, increasing the risk of overflow and downstream flooding. A 2019-2018 study recorded 127 large glacier-related landslides across the Karakoram, Pamirs, Western Himalayas, and Hindu Kush, highlighting how glacier thinning is destabilising slopes. The IPCC's special report on the cryosphere notes that permafrost thaw and glacier retreat are further weakening infrastructure integrity, exacerbating landslide risks. Unplanned Development Amplifies Vulnerability As the ghosts of Kedarnath 2013 and Rishiganga 2021 loom large, why have we failed to curb rampant, unplanned development in this fragile region, inviting nature's wrath again? Unregulated infrastructure projects-roads, tunnels, hydropower plants, and hotels-in ecologically fragile zones are worsening the situation. "The role of global warming is already established in the rise of extreme weather events," said Professor YP Sundriyal, Adjunct Faculty of Geology at Doon University, Uttarakhand. Ecologically, the Himalayas are very fragile as they are the youngest mountain range in the world. When such torrential rainfall occurs over hill slopes, it becomes more dangerous as debris flow leads to erosion due to landslides, making flash floods more powerful and disastrous." Urgent Need for Monitoring and Adaptation Experts are sounding the alarm for immediate action. Rainfall extremes in high-elevation areas are amplified by 15% per degree of warming-double the rate predicted by atmospheric theory-making early warning systems, floodplain zoning, and community evacuation plans critical. "With per degree centigrade warming, the extreme precipitation increases by seven to eight percent," said Dr Subimal Ghosh, Institute Chair Professor at IIT Mumbai. "We should have early warning systems and better adaptation designs, which are very much needed at the moment. It is very important to have floodplain zoning and to identify the regions that are extremely prone to flooding. If there is an early warning of extreme precipitation, immediately carry out evacuation from the region under the extreme flood zone." Professor Anjal Prakash, Research Director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, emphasised the need for climate-resilient infrastructure. "Such devastating events in Uttarkashi and other hilly regions highlight the increasing frequency of cloudbursts and flash floods driven by climate change," he said. "India is not doing enough to develop climate-resilient infrastructure that can withstand these extreme weather events. Enhanced surveillance and early warning systems are vital in addressing the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) play a vital role by providing real-time data from the Himalayas, especially in their upper reaches."
India Today
9 hours ago
- India Today
Himalayan deluge: Melting glaciers, urbanisation fuel deadly floods
The Himalayan region faces a severe crisis, with global warming accelerating glacier melt and urbanisation choking its fragile ecosystem. Flash floods, now occurring as frequently as three times in two months, compared to once every ten years previously, are turning roads into raging rivers and homes into rubble. Scientists confirm the rise of glacial-origin floods, projected to triple by the century's end. Unplanned urbanization, replacing forests with concrete, exacerbates the situation, as seen in Uttarakhand with the Tehri Dam's impact on the Bhagirathi River. Rescue operations are hampered by landslides and inaccessible roads. This escalating devastation is described as a critical warning: "This isn't weather but a wake-up call." The situation demands urgent action, including investment in early warning and disaster management systems.
