WebinarsNew
Deep DiveNew
Explore Business Standard
The prevailing El Nino conditions over the equatorial Pacific are most likely to intensify into a very strong event in the coming months and persist through February 2027, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said. It said this could have substantial impacts on rainfall and temperature patterns and the associated risks of floods, drought and extreme heat. In a statement on Thursday, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said, "El Nino in Spanish means boy child but it has the potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world. "We are already seeing disruption and devastation from droughts and floods, and we expect these impacts to increase as El Nino intensifies." The WMO projections came just days after the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its forecast for September, said that El Nino conditions could persist till February next year. El Nino is one of the three phases of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) a climate phenomenon .
The rains in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening wreaked havoc, killing 10 people, authorities said. Heavy rains coupled with a hailstorm and gusty winds uprooted trees, flooded many key stretches and threw traffic out of gear, they said on Thursday. Large parts of the city witnessed sudden, intense rainfall for nearly an hour, bringing down trees and electric poles, crushing parked vehicles and inundating low-lying areas, while several roads were rendered impassable, severely disrupting vehicular movement during peak hours. Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed when a compound wall of the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital collapsed amid the downpour. Among the deceased, two were from Kerala who were on a study tour. They had taken shelter near the wall when it gave way, they said. In another incident, a 35-year-old man, identified as Raghu, died of electrocution on Bannerghatta Road near Vega City Mall. In a separate case in Yarab Nagar, a student, Syed Sufiyan died
Heavy rains and gusty winds hit the northern states on Wednesday, with a few places in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir receiving snow. The national capital Delhi also witnessed a turbulent weather in the evening as gusty winds, dust storms and thunderstorms, accompanied by rain, swept across parts of the city. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department, in an X post, said it has issued "an orange warning for light to moderate thunderstorm with lightning and gusty wind activity along with light to moderate rain over Jammu region and Himachal Pradesh", along with some other states. Some areas in the higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Wednesday, while rain lashed most parts of the Valley. Pir Ki Gali in Shopian district and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district received snowfall, even as most mountains in the Valley -- which have been receiving intermittent snow since Sunday -- remained covered by layers of white. The plains, including Srinagar, were lashed by r
Mainly clear sky is likely in the national capital on February 15, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. Delhi on Saturday recorded a maximum temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, 3.6 notches above the season's average, the meteorological department said. The minimum temperature settled at 9.2 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average, it said. A generally clear sky with temperatures around 26 degrees Celsius is expected on Sunday, it added. The relative humidity was recorded at 41 per cent at 5.30 pm. Delhi's air quality was recorded in the "poor" category at 6 pm on Saturday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 229, Central Pollution Control Board data showed. According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
A powerful storm bore down on the East Coast on Saturday, with forecasters warning of howling winds, flooding and heavy snow, including in some Southeast coastal communities more accustomed to hurricanes than blizzards. Temperatures plummeted even as tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power. In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - whose official seal is the sun, palm trees and a seagull - 15 cm of snow was expected. The city has no snow removal equipment, and authorities planned to "use what we can find," Mayor Mark Kruea said. Subfreezing weather was forecast into February, with heavy snow in the Carolinas, Virginia and northeast Georgia over the weekend including up to a foot (30 cm) in parts of North Carolina. Snow was also said to be possible from Maryland to Maine. Saturday night and early Sunday, forecasters said, wind and snow could lead to blizzard conditions before the storm moves out to sea. The frigid cold was expected to plunge as far south as ...