Flood, drought, rainfall, snowfall, heatwave, cold wave, storm, cyclone, cloudburst, forest fire… You name it, we have it! But the biggest question is how and why?
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The modern life we have created is good for us but not for the environment. This energy-hungry human lifestyle is heating up the world at a rate that is not sustainable for the planet. In the past 170 years or so, industries have flourished and have made the Earth hotter by over 1oC. India, for instance...
Well, Christmas is not much of a fairytail for the future, as it is faced with the consequences of climate change.
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This summer, I got a chance to visit Santa Claus--the real one—in the Arctic Circle. Growing up we’ve all heard stories about the spirit and wonders of Christmas, either in school or home, or through movies and TV.
Recently, the mercury in many parts of northern India touched 48°C. Many records were broken by the rising temperature—March this year was marked as the hottest in the past 122 years! Public places, as a result, wore a deserted look as residents were forced to stay indoors.
How often does an older relative strike a conversation with you that begins with ‘back in our days...’? And how often do you switch off after hearing this apparently insipid conversation starter? If you do it often, then hang on! We have some news for you. These stories of the past from your elders, particularly about the environment, can provide a lot of crucial information and insights to you…
On July 1, 2021, Delhi experienced a heatwave, when the maximum temperature rose to 43.5°C. At the same time, Ganganagar, in west Rajasthan, reported India's highest temperature of 44.5°C. Some pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh still continue to face heatwave conditions. This issue is now prevalent world over. But the world is not only getting hotter but also wetter or more humid.
The healthy human body maintains its core temperature roughly at 37°C or 98.6°F, optimum for us to function. Whatever be the outside temperature, the internal thermostat located in the brain ensures that this core body temperature is maintained. However, very hot environments can overwhelm the body's coping mechanisms and lead to serious, possibly fatal, conditions.
Rising temperature has made heatwaves more severe and common.
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This year (2018), even before the summers had begun, the India Meteorological Department warned the districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri and Mumbai in Maharashtra about heatwave-like conditions. Temperatures in these districts are expected to touch 38°C. This is 6°C above the normal temperature for the summer months.
Farmers and daily wage labourers are the worst-hit...
Our weather is a result of many factors: the rotation of Earth on its axis, its revolution around the sun and the unequal distribution of sunlight. Areas around the equator where the sunrays fall directly are hotter than the areas around the poles, where the sunrays reach at an angle. The hot air in the areas around the equator swirl in a downward pattern, creating a high pressure. Heatwaves are the result of the trapped air in these areas. The sinking air also acts like a cap, trapping the warm ground air in place...