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The monsoon has revived in Maharashtra, bringing widespread heavy rainfall across several regions, including Mumbai. After a brief lull, intense showers returned from Friday onward, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting continued rain activity until at least June 18. Mumbai witnessed renewed showers over the weekend, with the Santacruz observatory recording 19 mm and the Colaba station registering 34 mm of rainfall between Saturday and Sunday morning. A yellow alert has been issued for the city, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall expected to persist until Tuesday morning. The IMD has also raised a red alert for the Raigad and Ratnagiri districts due to the likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall on Monday. An orange alert remains in place for these regions un...

Locust outbreaks are already a nightmare for millions of people, destroying crops and threatening food supplies. Now, scientists warn that these outbreaks are likely to get worse as the climate changes but they also believe that working with local communities could be key to stopping the damage. A new research paper explains that locusts, which are a type of short-horned grasshopper, can suddenly switch from living quietly on their own to forming huge, fast-moving swarms. These swarms can travel hundreds of kilometers, eating nearly every green plant they find. One species, the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), is described by scientists as one of the most destructive pests on the planet. A single swarm made up of tens of millions of these insects can cover more than 1,200 square k...

A brutal heatwave is gripping large parts of northwest and central India, pushing temperatures above 44 degrees Celsius in at least 22 locations and leaving millions struggling with extreme weather conditions. The searing heat is not only making daily life difficult but is also straining power grids as demand for cooling and water surges across states like Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this intense spell of heat will likely continue for another two days before light to moderate rainfall offers some relief starting June 15. The full arrival of the southwest monsoon, expected by June 25, is hoped to break this cycle of extreme temperatures and restore some climate stability to the affected regions. ...

After enduring an unusually dry and hot start to June, Arunachal Pradesh is finally poised to receive a much-needed spell of rain. According to the meteorological office, the state is expected to witness significant rainfall between June 16 and June 19, bringing relief from the persistent heat and dry conditions that have gripped the region for the past two weeks. The State Disaster Management Department has reported that weather patterns are shifting, with widespread showers likely to cover multiple districts. Areas such as Tawang, Kurung Kumey, and Namsai are forecasted to experience regular rainfall during this period. The lack of early June precipitation had led to soaring temperatures and dry soil conditions, raising concerns among local farmers and residents. However, the u...

Tropical Storm Wutip roared into southern China late Friday, pounding coastal areas with fierce winds and torrential rain. Making landfall near Dongfang city on Hainan Island, the storm disrupted daily life across the region, forcing schools to close, tourist sites to shut down, and transport services to grind to a halt. According to the National Meteorological Centre, Wutip packed wind speeds of up to 108 km per hour near its center when it struck around 11 pm local time (1500 GMT). The storm had gathered strength earlier this week over the South China Sea, evolving into a tropical storm by June 11. Its arrival marks the fifth-latest start to the Pacific tropical cyclone season in recent history—a reminder of how shifting weather patterns are impacting storm activity in the region....

In a major step towards cleaning the Yamuna River, the Delhi government has announced plans to set up 27 new Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) across the city's redevelopment zones by the end of this year. The move aims to curb the flow of untreated industrial waste and sewage that has long polluted the river. Currently, 13 CETPs serve 17 industrial areas in Delhi, with a total capacity to treat about 200 million litres of wastewater daily. However, many of these plants have come under criticism for failing to meet pollution standards, especially in removing harmful heavy metals before wastewater is released into the city's stormwater drains that eventually empty into the Yamuna. This decision follows a recent meeting between central and state officials, where concerns over th...

Communities in southeastern South Africa are grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods that have claimed at least 78 lives, with fears that the toll may rise as search operations continue. The town of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape province has emerged as the worst-hit area, drawing the personal attention of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited the region on Thursday. The president met with local disaster management teams and surveyed the damage at several sites, including the tragic location where a school bus was swept away by raging floodwaters, killing six students, the bus driver, and another adult. Four other students who were on the bus remain missing, prompting an urgent search by rescue crews. The floods, triggered by days of relentless rain, have left parts of the E...

Tropical cyclones known as hurricanes or typhoons in different parts of the world are among the most dangerous natural disasters on Earth. In the past 50 years alone, these storms have caused a staggering $1.4 trillion in damages worldwide, devastating communities and taking countless lives. But now, thanks to a new breakthrough by Google DeepMind and Google Research, predicting these deadly storms could become faster and more accurate. On Thursday, Google launched Weather Lab, an interactive online platform that showcases the latest experimental weather prediction models powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Among these tools is a brand-new AI-based tropical cyclone model that can forecast a cyclone's formation, track, strength, size, and shape up to 15 days in advance. What ...

When Hurricane Idalia roared towards Florida’s Big Bend in August 2023, it stunned forecasters with its sudden burst of power. In less than 24 hours, the storm grew rapidly from a Category 1 to a powerful Category 4 hurricane, a process called rapid intensification that made predicting its final strength extremely difficult. But what gave Idalia this extra boost? A new study by scientists from the University of South Florida (USF) College of Marine Science suggests the answer may have been flowing in quietly from the land river water. For decades, forecasters have known that warm ocean waters, atmospheric heat, and wind conditions help fuel storms. But these usual suspects couldn’t fully explain Idalia’s explosive growth, especially since the storm’s wind conditions weren’t particula...

Delhi is experiencing dangerously rising temperatures, with last year's historic 52.3°C reading at Mungeshpur standing as the city’s highest ever. As the summer of 2025 unfolds, the heat continues to grip the capital with intense and prolonged heatwaves. In May 2024, the Mungeshpur weather station recorded a scorching 52.3°C the highest temperature ever noted in Delhi’s history. However, this reading was flagged by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as an "outlier." While some experts suspected a possible sensor error or unusual local factors influencing the data, the reading reflected the growing severity of the city's heat conditions. At the same time, Delhi’s main observatory at Safdarjung reported a high of 46.8°C a more reliable indicator of the city’s extreme heat that day....