Month: June 2025

India is witnessing one of its earliest full monsoon covers in recent years, with the Southwest Monsoon (SWM) advancing nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that most parts of the country, barring Delhi as of June 24, have come under monsoon influence, significantly earlier than the normal nationwide coverage date of July 8. Accelerated Progress After Initial Stall The onset of the monsoon over Kerala on May 24, a full week earlier than the average date of June 1, set the pace. Despite an early start, both the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal branches stalled for several weeks. The Arabian Sea branch paused over Maharashtra on May 26, resuming only by June 15, while the Bay of Bengal branch stagnated in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Northeast...

A tragic landslide struck the Yamunotri trek route near Kainchi Bhairav Mandir on Sunday, claiming the lives of two pilgrims and injuring another. The incident occurred approximately 20 meters above the pathway, catching the victims by surprise as they made their way toward the revered temple. Rescue efforts were immediately launched by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local police. The bodies of the deceased were recovered while the injured pilgrim reportedly from Maharashtra has been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment. The district emergency operations center in Uttarkashi confirmed the ongoing search efforts to ensure no one else remains trapped under the debris. Medical teams and district officials have been deployed ...

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted consistent rainfall across West Bengal over the next five days, with heavy showers expected in both southern and sub-Himalayan districts. The forecast indicates increased rainfall activity on Wednesday and Thursday, especially in the southern districts of Howrah, Hooghly, and South 24 Parganas. The IMD has issued a weather alert for these areas, advising residents to remain cautious, especially in low-lying zones vulnerable to waterlogging. In north Bengal, the sub-Himalayan districts are also likely to be drenched. Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Jalpaiguri are expected to receive heavy rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting authorities to stay on high alert for potential landslides or disruptions in hill transport routes. ...

A powerful cold front is set to sweep across South Africa’s southwestern and inland regions starting Wednesday, June 25, prompting urgent warnings from the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA). The system is expected to bring heavy rain, flooding, snowfall, gale-force winds, and rough seas, potentially disrupting transport, farming, and coastal activities. High-Impact Weather Across Western, Northern and Eastern Cape The cold front is expected to make landfall along the Western Cape’s southwestern coast Wednesday morning. The Cape Winelands, Overberg, and parts of Cape Town are likely to experience persistent rainfall and localised flooding into Thursday. Authorities warn that low-lying areas and poorly drained ...

In a landmark collaboration, New Zealand and NASA have partnered on five major Earth observation research projects worth $5.6 million, aimed at strengthening climate resilience, improving environmental monitoring, and advancing space science innovation. Announced by Science and Innovation Minister Dr Shane Reti and Space Minister Judith Collins, the joint initiative is part of New Zealand’s Catalyst Strategic Fund, overseen by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). “These projects combine Kiwi research strength with NASA’s world-class space science to tackle real-world environmental challenges,” said Dr Reti. Earth from Above: What the Projects Will Do Backed by $1.9 million in NASA's technical support, the projects focus on using satellite data and machine l...

The United Arab Emirates' Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) has emerged as a major focus at the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) held in Bonn, Germany, from June 16 to 26, 2025. The programme’s broad scope and cross-sectoral relevance have made it one of the most debated issues at the conference, as countries seek to shape a fair transition towards low-carbon economies. The JTWP, launched at COP28 in the UAE, is currently under negotiation with the aim of finalising recommendations for adoption at COP30 later this year in Belém, Brazil. Discussions at SB62 are meant to clarify the programme’s objectives, implementation methods, and support mechanisms, with the goal of ensuring that climate action contributes to economic and social equity. In the first week of talks, t...

India has emerged from the margins to the centre of global scientific innovation over the past eleven years, according to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr. Jitendra Singh. Speaking at a joint press conference of all science ministries in New Delhi, Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “science-led governance” for this transformation, adding that technology is now the driving force behind India’s ₹38 lakh-crore ($455 billion) tech economy contributing over 9 percent to the national GDP. From Observer to Global Leader “India no longer just participates in global science it helps shape its direction,” said Singh, pointing to sweeping reforms since 2014 that eased regulations, encouraged startup collaboration with government R&D labs, and linked research fundi...

Delhi air quality has shown consistent improvement, marking five consecutive days in the 'satisfactory' category. The city recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 92, with Punjabi Bagh standing out as the cleanest locality at an AQI of 65, according to Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Minister Sirsa credited this progress to intensified pollution control measures under the Delhi Environment Action Plan 2025, a key component of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Viksit Delhi’ vision. Over the last two days, enforcement teams impounded 218 end-of-life vehicles and issued more than 11,000 pollution challans. Additionally, civic agencies have cleared nearly 11,400 metric tonnes of waste and covered over 6,400 kilometers of roads through cleaning drives. “Our crackdown on o...

Asia is heating nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving extreme weather events, ocean warming, and glacier loss that are taking a heavy toll on its societies and economies, according to the State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Record Heat and Deadly Heatwaves Grip the Continent In 2024, the average temperature anomaly across Asia was 1.04°C above the 1991–2020 average, making it either the warmest or second warmest year on record, depending on datasets. Countries such as Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, China, and India recorded exceptional heat. Myanmar hit a national temperature record of 48.2°C, while India experienced prolonged heatwaves responsible for over 450 deaths. East Asia faced months of abnormal heat stre...

Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions hit record levels in 2024, accelerating climate change and pushing the Earth’s climate system into increasingly dangerous territory. These findings come from the third edition of the Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC) report, published in Earth System Science Data. The IGCC serves as an annual update to track critical climate indicators between major reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Human Activity Driving Unprecedented Warming The IGCC report, compiled by over 60 international scientists, including former IPCC authors, confirms that nearly all the observed warming over the past decade is human-induced. In 2024, global average surface temperatures likely exceeded the 1.5°C mark above pre-industrial levels, wit...