Sunday, February 26, 2017

Vagaries' meet in Pune with Sikandarji (IMD) and Dr. Mazumdar (IITM) on 25th February 2017.
Had very useful and helpful discussions with the IMD/IITM scientists.


With our Co-Authors










Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Its Mahbubnagar from Telangana  !!...The first 40c (40.2°C) in India for 2017 Season has been recorded at Mahbubnagar ...21st February 2017. 

Many places in Deccan plateau are seeing warmer temps, particularly South Interior Peninsula is showing 3°C-5°C  warmer than normal for this time of year !!

Below are the stations from the region which recorded above 37.0°C temp today dated 21st February 2017:

 Mahbubnagar (T) 40.2°C
 Ahmadnagar (MH) 39.2°C
 Angul (O) & Gulbarga (K) 39.1°C
 Kurnool (A) & Chandrapur (MH) 39.0°C                        
 Anantapur (A) 38.8°C                        
 Tirupathi (A) 38.6°C                        
 Nalgonda (T) & Titlagarh (O) 38.5°C                        
 Rentachintala (A), Wardha,Malegaon & Nanded (MH) 38.0°C
 Solapur (MH) 37.9°C                     
 Adilabad (T) & Bellary (K) & Nagpur (MH) 37.8°C                        
 Bhadrachalam (T) 37.6°C                        
 Hyderabad (T) & Tiruchirapalli (TN) 37.5°C                        
 Ramgundam (T) & Salem (TN) & Sangli (MH) 37.4°C                        
 Raichur (K) 37.3°C                        
 Nandigama (A) & Brahmapuri (MH) 37.3°C                        
 Medak (T) & Vellore (TN) 37.2°C                        
 Kavali (A) 37.2°C                        
 Nellore (A) 37.1°C                        
 Khammam (T) & Dharmapuri (TN) & Jeur (MH) 37.0°C⁠⁠⁠⁠

MH-Maharashtra
O  -Odisha
T - Telangana
A - Andhra Pradesh
K - Karnataka
TN-Tamil Nadu

Saturday, February 18, 2017

18th February 2017...Celebrations!! 10th Anniversary of Vagaries of Weather Group.
Had amazing Vagaries Meet today on 18 Feb,Saturday, 2017.
Celebrated 10th Anniversary of our group.
"This group is amazing coming together of people from diverse backgrounds coming together with one common passion of studying weather. We are Vagaries of Weather!!! "...Vishal Kelkar


















Friday, February 17, 2017

VAGARIES MEET IN THE HEAT .. 17 FEB 2017 

A combination of High pressure at mid tropospheric levels and easterly surface winds , causing the dry heat at Mumbai .. Relief from Monday as not only the high pressure will disintegrate but also the surface winds will change from hot easterlies to mild north westerlies.

  • The west coast from Gujarat to Kerala was hot with max temp between 36 to 39 c (above normal by 4 to 7 c ). The daily temp range ( above 18 c at some places) was high at the coastal region.

    • Mumbai Colaba & Santacruz  recorded 37.5 c today . 
    • Colaba came close to it's all time February record of 38.3 c set way back on 28 Feb 1949. Santacruz February record is 39.6 c set way back on 25 Feb 1966.
    • Ratnagiri was the hottest in Asia today at 38.9 c. Almost touched it's all time February record of 39 c .
    • The minimum temps at Gujarat were above normal by 5 to 7 c .. At South Konkan /Goa , minimum temps were below normal by 2 to 3 c .
    • At Gujarat , Vallabh vidyanagar @ 38.8c , Surat @ 38.2 c , Rajkot @38 c , Junagarh AWS @ 37.5 c
    • Meanwhile, East coast was having fine weather .. Gopalpur @ 30/19 , Chennai @ 32/19

    Vagaries meet on 18 Feb 2017 (tomorrow) at Mumbai is all set in the heat ,with temp expected to be 37 c when the meet starts at 12.30 pm .

    (Badlapur private readings by Vagarian Abhijit)


    Thursday, February 16, 2017

    Vagaries' Meet: Saturday 18th : Venue for coming Saturday meet 18 February is China Bistro Restaurant.
    Time: 12 - 12.30pm sharp
    Address: Prajapati Bhavan, R K Vaidya Rd, Dadar West, Shivaji Park, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400028, India

    How to Reach through Google Map  address link : https://www.google.com/maps/place/China+Bistro/@19.0250607,72.8378884,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x85ea089fc2cecb2d!8m2!3d19.0250607!4d72.8400771?hl=en

    Posted Thursday Night (16th):

    Mumbai expected to remain in the 36/37c range next 2 days.Nights will be warmer also.
    Sunday should be better with a fall in day temperatures by 2/3c. 
    Pune: After remaining comfortable till Thursday, will start to warm up to 33/34c range from Friday, and may even reach 35c on Sunday.

    Ahmadabad: In spite of some high/medium clouds, expected to warm up from Friday. Days will touch 38/39c this weekend.
    Surat likely to touch 39/40c this weekend.

    New Delhi will also get a bit warmer this weekend crossing 31/32c.

    Actual and proper warming for Kolkata starts after Monday, 19th, when it will touch/cross 35c.

    After light rain on Friday, very windy in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 18th. Days will get cooler from Saturday dropping to a day's high of 22c on Sunday.

    Western Disturbance F-3 will be effective in Northern Hill States of India and extreme North Pakistan on 17th /18th/19th.

    Sunday, February 12, 2017

    Posted Wednesday 15th February Night:
    Hottest in Asia: Mangalore shot up to 38.7c on Wednesday 15th Feb..(Hottest February ever). Verifying to see if it hottest for any month...will put in comments tomorrow.

    Rajkot was 37.7c and Surat 37c. Bhuj 37.5c.
    Kerala too hot on 15th: Alapuzha 37.5c, Kottayam 37.2c, Kozhikode 37.2c and Kochi 36.9c.
    Mumbai was hot on Wednesday 15th: Colaba 36.9c and Scruz 37.2c !! Will remain hot in Mumbai for 3 more days.Nights will also get warmer.

    Posted Sunday 12th Night...
    Gujarat and Maharashtra Coastal Region Expected to heat up next week:

    Surat will shoot up to 37/38c levels by 14th Tuesday and could reach 40c by 17th Friday...maybe first 40c in India this season.
    Ahmadabad: The temperature in the day here today 12th was 29.6c as the maximum. The days are expected to get hotter from 13th Monday, as the day temperature will rise to 33con Monday and 35c by Tuesday. Hotter on 15th Wednesday.
    Baroda could reach 39c by weekend.
    Temperatures in rest of Gujarat also expected to rise from Monday, with Rajkot possibly touching 35c by Tuesday. 

    Mumbai: The day temperature on Sunday 12th was 31.2c....Day temperatures will start to rise from Monday 13th February...Monday will be about 33c and could reach 36c by Wednesday.

    GRAVITY WAVES
    Gravity waves formed in the south Atlantic Ocean in 2017.



    A Cut in the Clouds

    Like a ship carving its way through the sea, the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands parted the clouds. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this natural-color image on February 2, 2017. The ripples in the clouds are known as gravity waves.

    Courtesy NASA Earth Observatory

    Thursday, February 09, 2017

    WINTER STORM NIKO ..(noon..Eastern time).. 9 Feb 2017
    • North East United states under the effect of Niko for today . Gusty winds( more than 30 mph/50 kmph)  adding to the chill factor.
    • Snow accumulation approaching one feet (12 inches)..Latest snow amounts on the ground : New York La Guardia @ 9 inch ,Newark (New Jersey) @ 6 inch
    • New York City temp drops from highs of 18 c (64 f) yesterday to -2 c currently .
    • Wind gusts approaching 43 mph (70 kmph) currently at Boston causing wind chills of -12 c (9 f) .
    >> The storm will taper off from the area by today evening .
    >> But the night will be extremely cold across the eastern seaboard cities of Boston / New York / Newark /Philadelphia (wind chills below -15 c / 5 f  ).

    Live exclusive image of the storm from New Jersey ..It's a freezer out there..



    Tuesday, February 07, 2017

    GUJARAT COOLS DOWN .. MUMBAI AS COOL AS MAHABALESHWAR  .. 7 FEB 2017 
    • North Konkan (including Mumbai) and Gujarat was cool during the day in the aftermath of Western Disturbance( F-1) . The lowest max temp (25.9 c) at Maharashtra yesterday was recorded at Dahanu on the North Konkan coast.
    • The interior of Maharashtra was warm during the daytime.
    • Gujarat temps : Junagadh  27 / 9 , Rajkot 28 / 10 , Ahmedabad 27 / 9 , Naliya 27 / 5 , Mt.Girnar 20 / 6 , Okha 23 / 18

    Next two days (Wed / Thurs) ,  
    • The day temp at Mumbai will increase from Monday's level (27 c) to nice and dry 30 - 31 c and night will be cooler (min temp 15 -17c ) .
    • Nasik/Pune will be nice and dry during the day (max 32-33 c) and night will be cool (min temp 10  - 13 c) .
       
          Gujarat region will see some clouds/hazy sun on wednesday.
    • On Wed & Thurs, Rajkot / Ahmedabad will be fine and dry during the day (max temp 29- 30 c) and night will be cool (min temp 10-12 c)  .
    • On Wed & Thurs , Surat will be nice and dry during the day (max 31-32 c) and night will be cool (min temp 14  - 16 c) .

    (Click and enlarge for better view)
    (max / min temp in c during past 24hrs ending 8.30 am on 7 Feb 2017)


    Sunday, February 05, 2017


    NEW AGE IN WEATHER FORECASTING BEGINS WITH SPECTACULAR 1ST IMAGES FROM NASA/NOAA GOES-16 OBSERVATORY


    GOES-16 (previously known as GOES-R) captured this view of the moon as it looked across the surface of the Earth on January 15, 2017. Like earlier GOES satellites, GOES-16 will use the moon for calibration. Credit: NOAA/NASA
    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – A new age has begun in the nations weather forecasting capabilities with the release today (Jan. 23) of the spectacular first images gathered by the recently launched NASA/NOAA GOES-16 observatory.
    The highly advanced Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16 (GOES-16) weather observatory lifted off two months ago atop a ULA Atlas V rocket on Nov. 19, 2016 from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
    GOES-16 (formerly known as GOES-R through the launch) is the first in a new series of revolutionary NASA/NOAA geostationary weather satellites that entails the first significant instrument upgrade to US weather forecasting capabilities in more than two decades.
    “It will be like high-definition from the heavens,” says NOAA.
    “Today’s release of the first images from #GOES16 signals the start of a new age in satellite weather observation!!!”
    Thus the newly obtained and published imagery has been anxiously awaited by scientists, meteorologists and ordinary weather enthusiasts.
    “This is such an exciting day for NOAA! One of our GOES-16 scientists compared this to seeing a newborn baby’s first pictures — it’s that exciting for us,” said Stephen Volz Ph.D. director of NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, in a statement.
    “These images come from the most sophisticated technology ever flown in space to predict severe weather on Earth. The fantastically rich images provide us with our first glimpse of the impact GOES-16 will have on developing life-saving forecasts.”

    This image clearly shows the significant storm system that crossed North America that caused freezing and ice that resulted in dangerous conditions across the United States on January 15, 2017 resulting in loss of life. Credit: NOAA/NASA
    An especially eye-popping image taken by GOES -16 from its equatorial vantage point situated in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometers) above Earth and published today, shows both the Earth and the Moon together – as the lead image here.
    The Earth/Moon combo shot is not only fantastically pleasing to the eye, but also serves a significant scientific purpose.
    “Like earlier GOES satellites, GOES-16 will use the moon for calibration,” say NOAA officials.
    “GOES-16 will boost the nation’s weather observation network and NOAA’s prediction capabilities, leading to more accurate and timely forecasts, watches and warnings.”
    GOES-16 is the most advanced and powerful weather observatory ever built and will bring about a ‘quantum leap’ in weather forecasting.
    “Seeing these first images from GOES-16 is a foundational moment for the team of scientists and engineers who worked to bring the satellite to launch and are now poised to explore new weather forecasting possibilities with this data and imagery,” said Volz.
    “The incredibly sharp images are everything we hoped for based on our tests before launch. We look forward to exploiting these new images, along with our partners in the meteorology community, to make the most of this fantastic new satellite.”
    It’s dramatic new imagery will show the weather in real time enabling critical life and property forecasting, help pinpoint evacuation zones and also save people’s lives in impacted areas of severe weather including hurricanes and tornadoes.
    And the huge satellite can’t come online soon enough, as demonstrated by the severe winter weather and tornadoes that just wreaked havoc and death in various regions of the US.
    Another breathtaking image product (seen below) produced by the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument, built by Harris Corporation, shows a full-disc view of the Western Hemisphere in high detail — at four times the image resolution of existing GOES spacecraft.

    This composite color full-disk visible image shows North and South America and was taken on January 15, 2017. It was created using several of the 16 spectral channels available on the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument. Credit: NOAA/NASA
    The 11,000 pound satellite was built by prime contractor Lockheed Martin and is the first of a quartet of four identical satellites – comprising GOES-R, S, T, and U – at an overall cost of about $11 Billion. This will keep the GOES satellite system operational through 2036.
    This next generation of GOES satellites will replace the currently operating GOES East and GOES West satellites.
    NOAA will soon decide whether GOES-16 will replace either the East or West satellites. A decision from NOAA is expected in May. GOES-16 will be operational by November 2017 as either the GOES-East or GOES-West satellite. Of course everyone wants it first.
    The six instrument science suite includes the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). ABI is the primary instrument and will collect 3 times more spectral data with 4 times greater resolution and scans 5 times faster than ever before – via the primary Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument – compared to the current GOES satellites.
    “The higher resolution will allow forecasters to pinpoint the location of severe weather with greater accuracy. GOES-16 can provide a full image of Earth every 15 minutes and one of the continental U.S. every five minutes, and scans the Earth at five times the speed of NOAA’s current GOES imagers.”
    Story adapted from Universe Today and written by By   -

    Saturday, February 04, 2017

    TAMILNADU WEATHER .. 4 JAN 2017

    F-1 (western disturbance) to cause snow/rain over North Indian hill states ( Jammu Kashmir , Himachal Pradesh ) by tomorrow.

    Meanwhile, South India (Tamilnadu) is experiencing fine weather (see the map).

    Maharashtra weather today .. Mumbai 28/19(windy) , Pune 32/16 , Nasik 33/14, Aurangabad 33/17 , Nagpur 33/14, Vengurla 34/20

    (Click and enlarge for better view)

    ( Temp depicted in the map are of past 24hrs ending 8.30 am on 4 Feb 2017)

    Friday, February 03, 2017

    Posted 3rd February ( Friday):
    Rain/Snow from Oman and UAE: 
    Friday Muscat and Abu Dhabi were cloudy with light rains and very windy. 
    Max temperature in Muscat was 21c, with winds at 39 kmph and gusting upto 43 kmph
    Max temperature in Abu Dhabi on 3rd was 24.3c and low was 13.5c. Winds were strong and gusty at 57 kmph (Max gust reached was 76 kmph) 

    Abu Dhabi will be partly cloudy Saturday/Sunday. Wind force will decrease, and days will be cool around 24c.

    Rainfall in UAE:
    1 Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (United Arab Emirates) 18.0 mm
    2 Sharjah International Airport (United Arab Emirates) 7.2 mm
    3 Al Ain International Airport (United Arab Emirates)         2.2 mm
    Some rain amounts from Oman:
    24 hours amount precipitation. 02/03/2017 at 15:00 UTC
    1 Qarn Alam    18.6 mm
    2 Diba          10.6 mm
    3 Marmul    8.6 mm
    4 Duqm            6.6 mm
    5 Khasab Airport 5.8 mm
    6 Buraimi   5.6 mm
    7 Khassab   4.4 mm

    Now F-1, on schedule, is heading towards the Indian Sub Continent Region
    Some Pics from Oman and UAE mountains:




    Thursday, February 02, 2017

    The Curious Incident of Snow in The Netherlands


    It was as though a spotlight had illuminated them: a few dozen fields in Heensche Molen glowed white. Yet the snow that left a distinct patch on this hamlet in The Netherlands also left neighboring areas untouched, with the landscape cloaked in the muted browns and greens of winter.
    Snow fell that January 2017 day in northwestern Europe, but not everywhere. The Netherlands and Belgium were dusted in a freckle-pattern, with white powder covering some fields, while others remained completely bare. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured a view of this anomaly on January 19, 2017, a couple of days after the snowfall. Those white freckles were signs of a rare and somewhat obscure phenomenon.
    Fog-induced snow (not a formal scientific term) typically forms next to industrial sites. Big chimneys release water vapor and other gases and particulates, which can lead to the formation of fog. It also turns out that these emissions can create snow when the weather gets cold enough.

    acquired January 19, 2017download large image (6 MB, JPEG, 2084x2489)


    In December 2007, a cold fog over The Netherlands started to develop into a thick stratus cloud. Wim van den Berg, a researcher for MeteoGroup Netherlands, described the event in a 2007 paper: “Mixing within the fog caused the temperature to drop gradually to -4 or -5 degrees Celsius (25 Fahrenheit) throughout the cloud. The temperature decrease caused additional condensation into tiny water droplets but also ice crystals. In such a mixed cloud the Wegener-Bergeron process starts, and ice nuclei grow at the expense of water droplets with small snowflakes as a result...Locally, really large snowflakes were observed and a snow depth resulted of 3–5 centimeters (1.2–2 inches).”
    That is likely what happened in January 2017, van den Berg believes. “After many days with fog and/or low clouds and subfreezing temperatures, on January 17 several places reported snow,” he wrote in an email. “It was very local, mostly west of industry,” as surface wind was light easterly, “but it did cause some unexpected slipperiness.”
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Caption by Pola Lem.

    Let's look into the 3rd week of March ( 17th - 21st). Mumbai : Hot weather likely for Mumbai region this week, typical dry hot days of M...