Researchers at Pune's Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology have developed a model that can predict heat waves three weeks in advance. It can predict the date of onset, duration and demise of the forthcoming spell of heat waves, with a small spatial and temporal error. The prediction system has been successfully transferred to the Indian … Continue reading IITM Pune develops model to predict heat waves three weeks in advance
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Urban areas in India cooler than non-urban areas during heat waves
Contrary to global evidence, a study by IIT Gandhinagar researchers has found that during daytime the urban areas are relatively cooler than the surrounding non-urban areas during heat waves. However, during night time, all urban areas are hotter than the surrounding non-urban areas. The reason being that unlike non-urban areas, the urban areas have perennial … Continue reading Urban areas in India cooler than non-urban areas during heat waves
Only 32% of India is resilient to drought
Based on data from 2000 to 2014, only 241 of 634 (about 38%) districts in India were found to be resilient to drought or dry conditions. The remaining 62% districts were non-resilient to varying degrees — slight (180 districts), moderate (80 districts) and severe (133 districts). And only 10 of the 29 States and Union … Continue reading Only 32% of India is resilient to drought
Some Indian cities cooler than surrounding areas during summer days
More than 60% of the total 89 urban areas are 1-5 degree C cooler than their surrounding non-urban areas during April and 70% of cities are cooler in May. Between February and May, most of the 89 Indian cities that are to be developed as Smart Cities have been found to be 1-5 degree C … Continue reading Some Indian cities cooler than surrounding areas during summer days
IIT Gandhinagar develops a system to monitor drought in South Asia
It will now be possible to monitor drought at 5-km resolution on near real-time basis. The dataset and drought indicators for south Asia have been made available from 1980 onwards. The database will be updated once every week. Now, near real-time monitoring of drought at a 5-km resolution that will help policy makers and others … Continue reading IIT Gandhinagar develops a system to monitor drought in South Asia
Probability of dying due to heat waves increases in India
The mean temperature across India has risen by 0.5 degree C during the period 1960 and 2009 and this has led to a significant increase in heat waves in the country. Based on modelling studies, researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the University of California, Irvine … Continue reading Probability of dying due to heat waves increases in India
Heat wave conditions in India to persist till April 27
Several parts of India reeled under severe heat wave conditions on Saturday, with the maximum temperature exceeding 47 degrees Celsius at Titlagarh in Odisha and above 45 degrees in several other parts of the country. No respite is in sight till April 27, as India Meteorological Department issued severe heat wave or heat wave warnings … Continue reading Heat wave conditions in India to persist till April 27
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