New Year in Rajasthan likely to begin with winter rains, cold winds

December 29, 2025 2:47 PM

New Year in Rajasthan likely to begin with winter rains, cold winds

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that New Year in Rajasthan is expected to begin on a chilly note, with cold winds and winter showers likely in parts of the state. According to the IMD, a western disturbance is set to become active on December 31 and January 1, bringing light rainfall to northern and western Rajasthan. The rain is mainly expected in districts of the Bikaner division and the Shekhawati region, including Bikaner, Churu, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and adjoining areas. Weather...

Rains, floods and rising heat: South Asia’s growing climate crisis

July 23, 2025 10:56 AM

Rains, floods and rising heat: South Asia’s growing climate crisis

People in India and neighboring countries eagerly await the monsoon rains, which signal the end of the scorching summer heat and bring much-needed water for crops that sustain crores of people. However, the increasing frequency, intensity, unpredictability and eccentricity of extreme rainfall events are making things increasingly difficult for the people. In 2024 alone, hundreds of people died in India due to heavy rainfall. Across South Asia, hundreds more have already died this year. Experts w...

India retains forecast of above average monsoon rains

May 27, 2025 4:55 PM

India retains forecast of above average monsoon rains

India is likely to see above average monsoon rains for the second straight year in 2025, the government said on Tuesday, retaining the forecast it gave last month. The monsoon is expected to total 106% of the long-term average this year, said M. Ravichandran, secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The India Meteorological Department defines average or normal rainfall as ranging between 96% and 104% of a 50-year average of 87 cm (35 inches) for the four-month season from June to September...

Myanmar earthquake toll crosses 3,000; forecast rains pose new threat for rescuers

April 3, 2025 11:53 AM

Myanmar earthquake toll crosses 3,000; forecast rains pose new threat for rescuers

The death toll from Myanmar's devastating earthquake has surpassed 3,000, with hundreds more missing, as forecasts of unseasonal rain presented a new challenge for rescue and aid workers trying to reach people in a country riven by civil war. Last Friday's 7.7-magnitude quake, one of the Southeast Asian nation's strongest in a century, jolted a region home to 28 million, toppling buildings, flattening communities, and leaving many without food, water, and shelter. Deaths rose to 3,003 on Wednes...

At least four dead as torrential rains lash Mumbai

September 26, 2024 10:50 AM

At least four dead as torrential rains lash Mumbai

Torrential rain lashed Mumbai, triggering floods and killing at least four people as well as paralysing the city and forcing schools to close on Thursday. Some parts of Mumbai recorded around 275 mm (11 inches) of rain on Wednesday evening, which crippled road traffic and delayed the trains millions of city residents use every day. Four people died from rain-related incidents, officials said. With more rain expected, authorities issued a citywide red alert, and urged residents to stay home. S...

Monsoon rains arrive early in Kerala

September 16, 2024 5:45 PM

Monsoon rains arrive early in Kerala

Monsoon rains hit India's southernmost Kerala coast a few days earlier than expected on Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, boosting prospects for bumper harvests that could spur farm and economic growth in Asia's third-largest economy. Summer rains usually begin to lash coastal Kerala state around June 1 and spread across the whole country by mid-July, triggering the planting of crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane. The monsoon, the lifeblood of the c...