Hours After Delhi Burns At 52.3 Degrees, Capital receives showers

NEW DELHI, May 29: Two hours after Delhi recorded the country's highest-ever temperature at 52.3 degrees Celsius, the national capital received showers this afternoon, bringing some respite from the extreme heat.

Delhi has been reeling under severe heatwave conditions over the past few days. While the maximum temperature has been hovering around the 50 degrees Celsius mark, the minimum is inching closer to the 30 degrees.

The weather office had earlier warned of extreme heat in most parts of the national capital. The India Meteorological Department forecast for today predicted a maximum temperature of 45.8 degrees. However, at 2.30 pm today, the weather station in Delhi's Mungeshpur recorded a temperature of 52.3 degrees Celsius, the highest-ever in any part of India.

According to IMD regional head Kuldeep Srivastava, areas such as Mungeshpur and Narela on Delhi's outskirts are the first to receive hot winds coming in from Rajasthan, leading to extreme heat conditions.

"Parts of Delhi are particularly susceptible to the early arrival of these hot winds, worsening the already severe weather. Areas like Mungeshpur, Narela and Najafgarh are the first to experience the full force of these hot winds," he said.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet Weather, said, "In open areas with vacant land, there is increased radiation. Direct sunlight and lack of shade make these regions exceptionally hot. When wind blows from the west, it affects these areas first. As they are on the outskirts, temperatures rise rapidly," Palawat added.

As the national capital sizzles and air-conditioners run overtime, power demand has gone up. Power demand in Delhi touched an all-time high of 8,302 MW today, officials have said.

The officials said this is the first time in the history of the national capital that power demand has crossed the 8,300-MW mark -- 100 MW more than what power distribution companies had predicted.

To add to Delhiites' problems, a water crisis is on the horizon. Delhi minister Atishi has said the Haryana government is not giving the national capital its share of Yamuna water and this has led to water crisis in some areas. The AAP government today directed Delhi Jal Board to form 200 teams to monitor and minimise water wastage. Washing cars with hose pipes, overflowing tanks and use of drinking water for commercial purposes will now attract a fine of ₹ 2,000.

At 49.9 degrees Celsius, India's capital records all-time high maximum temperature

NEW DELHI, May 28: Delhi on Tuesday recorded its all-time high maximum temperature as the mercury in India's capital, touched 49.9 degrees Celsius. Several areas, like Mungeshpur, Najafgarh and Narela, have recorded temperatures of 49.9 degrees Celsius, 49.8 degrees Celsius, and 49.9 degrees Celsius, respectively, facing severe heatwave conditions.

The maximum temperature in Pitampura and Pusa was recorded at 48.5 degrees Celsius, while Jafarpur recorded 48.6 degrees Celsius. Other areas, such as Safdarjung, Palam, CHO, Ridge and Ayanagar, also recorded maximum temperatures between 45 and 48 degrees Celsius.

The highest-ever temperature reading in Delhi over the last 100 years is 49.2 degrees Celsius, recorded on May 15–16, 2022.

The record temperature comes even as a 'red' alert warning has been issued for Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat, indicating a very high likelihood of heat illness and heat stroke for all age groups.

Northwest and central India are reeling under a severe heatwave, with Rajasthan's Phalodi recording the highest temperature in India since June 1, 2019, hitting a scorching 50 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

Earlier in May, the heatwave broke temperature records across the country, with even hilly regions such as Assam, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh recording their highest-ever temperatures.

The scorching heatwave is also putting immense strain on power grids, raising India's power demand to 239.96 gigawatts, the highest this season, as households and businesses crank up air conditioners and coolers.

The power demand may increase further, potentially surpassing the all-time high of 243.27 GW set in September 2023.

Powerful Solar Storm Hits Earth, Could Disrupt Communication, Power Grids

WASHINGTON, May 11: The most powerful solar storm in more than two decades struck Earth on Friday, triggering spectacular celestial light shows from Tasmania to Britain -- and threatening possible disruptions to satellites and power grids as it persists into the weekend.

The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) -- expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun -- came just after 1600 GMT, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center.

It was later upgraded to an "extreme" geomagnetic storm -- the first since the "Halloween Storms" of October 2003 caused blackouts in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa. More CMEs are expected to pummel the planet in the coming days.

Social media lit up with people posting pictures of auroras from northern Europe and Australasia.

"We've just woken the kids to go watch the Northern Lights in the back garden! Clearly visible with the naked eye," Iain Mansfield in Hertford, England, told AFP.

That sense of wonder was shared in Australia's island state of Tasmania.

"Absolutely biblical skies in Tasmania at 4 am this morning. I'm leaving today and knew I could not pass up this opportunity," photographer Sean O' Riordan posted on social media platform X alongside a photo.

Authorities notified satellite operators, airlines, and the power grid to take precautionary steps for potential disruptions caused by changes to Earth's magnetic field.

Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellite internet operator has some 5,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, described the solar storm as the "biggest in a long time."

"Starlink satellites are under a lot of pressure, but holding up so far," Musk posted on his X platform.

Unlike solar flares, which travel at the speed of light and reach Earth in around eight minutes, CMEs travel at a more sedate pace, with officials putting the current average at 800 kilometers (500 miles) per second.

The CMEs emanated from a massive sunspot cluster that is 17 times wider than our planet. The Sun is approaching the peak of an 11-year cycle that brings heightened activity.

Mathew Owens, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading, told AFP that how far the effects would be felt over the planet's northern and southern latitudes would depend on the storm's final strength.

"Go outside tonight and look would be my advice because if you see the aurora, it's quite a spectacular thing," he said. People with eclipse glasses can also look for the sunspot cluster during the day.

In the United States, this could include places such as Northern California and Alabama, officials said.

NOAA's Brent Gordon encouraged the public to try to capture the night sky with phone cameras even if they couldn't see auroras with their naked eyes.

"Just go out your back door and take a picture with the newer cell phones and you'd be amazed at what you see in that picture versus what you see with your eyes."

Fluctuating magnetic fields associated with geomagnetic storms induce currents in long wires, including power lines, which can potentially lead to blackouts. Long pipelines can also become electrified, leading to engineering problems.

Spacecraft are also at risk from high doses of radiation, although the atmosphere prevents this from reaching Earth.

NASA has a dedicated team looking into astronaut safety and can ask astronauts on the International Space Station to move to places within the outpost that are better shielded.

Following one particularly strong flare peak, the US Space Weather Prediction Center said users of high-frequency radio signals "may experience temporary degradation or complete loss of signal on much of the sunlit side of Earth."

Even pigeons and other species that have internal biological compasses could also be affected. Pigeon handlers have noted a reduction in birds coming home during geomagnetic storms, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Officials said people should have the normal backup plans in place for power outages, such as having flashlights, batteries, and radios at hand.

The most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history, known as the Carrington Event after British astronomer Richard Carrington, occurred in September 1859.

Excess currents on telegraph lines at that time caused electrical shocks to technicians and even set some telegraph equipment ablaze.

Severe solar storm to hit Earth; major power outages, flights rerouting likely

WASHINGTON, May 10: A severe solar storm expected to hit Earth this weekend has prompted the US Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a rare Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch, the second-highest on a five-step scale. This storm, the first of its kind since January 2005, poses significant threats including blackouts, disruptions to navigation systems, and interference with high-frequency radios worldwide.

Trans-polar flights between Europe, Asia, and North America are expected to be rerouted to minimise radiation exposure for passengers and crew members.

“Watches at this level are very rare,” the Space Weather Prediction Center said.

This heightened state of alert comes as multiple waves of solar energy are set to impact the planet. Five eruptions of material from the sun's atmosphere are predicted to arrive starting late on Friday and persist through Sunday. The storm’s true power will be known about 60 to 90 minutes before it hits Earth as satellites measure inbound bursts of energy, according to Bloomberg.

Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are explosive events on the sun's surface involving the release of plasma and magnetic fields from its corona. When these CMEs are directed towards Earth, they can induce geomagnetic storms. Such storms have the capacity to impact various systems, both in near-Earth orbit and on the planet's surface. This includes the potential disruption of communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio, and satellite operations.

While individuals are shielded by Earth's magnetic field, unprepared electric grids face the risk of disruption, pipelines may become charged with current, and spacecraft could be knocked off course. The last time Earth experienced a G5 storm – the worst on the scale – was in October 2003, resulting in power outages in Sweden and damage to transformers in South Africa.

Geomagnetic storms have also the potential to produce awe-inspiring displays of auroras in Earth's atmosphere. With the severity of the current geomagnetic storm watch, there exists the possibility for auroras, often called the Northern Lights, to be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California, according to the US agency. Regions across Asia and Europe with sufficiently dark and clear skies may witness spectacular displays of auroras. The UK Met Office expects the aurora to be visible across the entire United Kingdom.

India was 3rd most polluted country in 2023: World Air Quality Report

GENEVA, Mar 19: India was the third most polluted country in 2023 after Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to the World Air Quality Report based on data from the Swiss firm IQAir. India’s annual PM 2.5 was 54.4µg/m3 compared to Pakistan’s 73.7µg/m3 and Bangladesh’s 79.9µg/m3.

India’s annual PM 2.5 average was 53.3µg/m3 in 2022 when it was the eighth most polluted country. It was 58.1µg/m3 in 2021. The report, which was released on Tuesday and is based on data from over 30,000 air quality monitoring stations across 7,812 locations in 134 countries, territories, and regions, said 42 of the world’s most polluted 50 cities are in India.

New Delhi (92.7µg/m3) was the most polluted capital city globally. Begusarai (118.9µg/m3) was the most polluted in India followed by Guwahati (105.4µg/m3).

The Union Territory of Delhi had an average PM 2.5 concentration of 102.1µg/m3, making it the third most polluted worldwide. New Delhi (92.7µg/m3) was the sixth most polluted.

Mullanpur (100.4µg/m3) in Punjab and Pakistan’s Lahore (99.5µg/m3) were the fourth and fifth most polluted places.

Greater Noida (88.6µg/m3) was the most polluted, ranking 11th, across the National Capita Region after Delhi. Gurugram (84µg/m3) was next at 17th.

The report said seven of the 134 countries—Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand—met the World Health Organization annual PM 2.5 average of 5µg/m3 or less.

Greenpeace International senior air quality scientist Aidan Farrow said the report illustrates the international nature and inequitable consequences of the enduring air pollution crisis. “Local, national, and international effort is urgently needed to monitor air quality in under-resourced places, manage the causes of transboundary haze, and cut our reliance on combustion as an energy source,” he said.

“In 2023, air pollution remained a global health catastrophe. IQAir’s global data set provides an important reminder of the resulting injustices and the need to implement the many solutions that exist to this problem.”

Countries across Europe must prepare for 'catastrophic' climate change risks, says European Environment Agency

COPENHAGEN, Mar 11: Countries across Europe should prepare for "catastrophic" risks, ranging from floods to deadly heatwaves, as worsening climate change hits every part of their economies and societies this century, the EU Environment Agency said on Monday.

Policymakers need to draw up new plans to address the challenges, the Copenhagen-based body said in its first Europe-wide analysis of climate-related risks.

Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, heating up at twice the global rate, the EEA said. Even if countries manage to slow warming, global temperatures are already more than 1C higher than in pre-industrial times.

The EEA said the damage will depend, in part, on whether policymakers act now to prepare societies - for example, by improving insurance coverage, redesigning infrastructure and introducing laws to protect outdoor workers from deadly heat.

Without more urgent action, the EEA said most of the 36 climate risks facing Europe could hit "critical or catastrophic levels" this century. They include risks to health, crop production and infrastructure.

In a pessimistic scenario, by the end of the century, the EEA said: "Hundreds of thousands of people would die from heatwaves, and economic losses from coastal floods alone could exceed 1 trillion euros per year."

That would far exceed the 650 billion euros lost to weather and climate-related extremes across the bloc from 1980 to 2022.

Kate Levick, associate director at climate think-tank E3G, urged governments to respond to the EEA's findings.

"There's a particular role for finance ministers to essentially look at what happens to balance sheets, in terms of assets and liabilities at national level, as a result of climate risk," Levick said.

The European Commission will publish its response to the report on Tuesday.