Rupee drops to record low of 79.62 against US dollar
Mumbai(PTI): The rupee depreciated by 3 paise to close at a record low of 79.62 (provisional) against the US currency on Wednesday following a firm dollar in overseas markets and losses in the domestic stock markets.
Crude oil prices trading near USD 100 per barrel level, however, supported the local unit, forex dealers said.
At the interbank forex market, the local unit opened strong at 79.55 against the greenback but could not hold on to gains and slipped in the negative territory. It witnessed an intra-day high of 79.53 and a low of 79.68.
It finally settled at 79.62 (provisional), down paise over its previous close of 79.59.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, advanced 0.09 per cent to 108.17.
On the domestic equity market front, the BSE Sensex ended 372.46 points or 0.69 per cent lower at 53,514.15, while the broader NSE Nifty fell 91.65 points or 0.57 per cent to 15,966.65.
Meanwhile, Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 1.21 per cent to USD 100.69 per barrel.
Foreign institutional investors remained net sellers in the capital market on Tuesday, offloading shares worth Rs 1,565.68 crore, as per exchange data.
Retail inflation dropped marginally to 7.01 per cent in June mainly due to a slight easing in prices of vegetables and pulses, though it remained above the Reserve Bank's comfort level for the sixth month in a row.
The consumer price index (CPI) based inflation stood at 7.04 per cent in the preceding month of May and 6.26 per cent in June 2021.
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Orange alert: Karnataka State Disaster Management cell issues animated advisory
Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has issued a series of animated shorts in Kannada advising people of appropriate measures to take during extreme temperatures to keep oneself safe.
"Karnataka has not seen such extreme temperatures and heat waves in the recent past. So, we wanted to ensure a wider reach for safety measures, therefore we decided to issue them in a reader-friendly format," said an official from KSNDMC.
Meteorological Centre Bengaluru, Indian Meteorological Department, had issued a five-day heat wave warning, lasting till April orange alert, for parts of Karnataka.
"In places like Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Kalaburgi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Tumkur, Mandya, Gadag, Davangere and Chitradurga, the temperature is likely to touch 40 degrees Celsius tomorrow," said C P Patil, director of the centre.
On April 25, these places recorded a maximum temperature of 39 degrees Celsius. Orange alert would mean increased likelihood of heat illness symptoms in people who are exposed to sun for a prolonged period of time as well as those who do heavy manual work.
According to Patil, coastal Karnataka will also have very hot and humid weather conditions, making it very uncomfortable for people there.
"It's best for children and old people to avoid exposure to heat in coastal areas too," added Patil. In places where heat wave is predicted, people are advised to avoid direct exposure to sunlight between 12 noon and 3pm.
"When they go out, it is best to use protective goggles, an umbrella or a hat. Also aerated drinks must be avoided since they cause dehydration. Best to drink water as much as possible, even if you don't feel thirsty," said M Rajavel, head of LACD, Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru.
People are also advised not to leave the children or pets inside parked vehicles. The maximum and minimum temperatures of Bengaluru are very likely to be around 37 degree Celsius and 23 degree Celsius respectively for the next 48 hours, said Patil.
Hassan recorded the highest jump from its normal minimum temperature. It recorded 22.6 degrees Celsius, about 2.8 degrees more than usual.
According to IMD, on April 29 light rain is also very likely in isolated places over Bidar, Kalaburgi, Yadgir, Vijayapura, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu, Mysuru, Mandya and Chitradurga districts.
On April 30, light rain is predicted again for Bidar, Kalaburgi, Yadgir, Vijayapura, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Chikkamagaluru, Tumkur, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban and Kodagu districts.
Incidentally, KSNDMC has also issued a series of animated advisory for lightning safety.
"We also update temperature every 15 minutes in our X handle in coordination with IMD," added the KSNDMC official.
ವಿಪರೀತ ತಾಪಮಾನದಿಂದ ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸಲು ಈ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಜಾಗೃತಿ ವಿಡಿಯೋಗಳನ್ನು ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ ಮತ್ತು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಆರೋಗ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಾಪಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ
— Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (@KarnatakaSNDMC) April 25, 2024
Watch these public awareness videos to protect yourself from extreme temperatures & take care of your health#ರಣಬಿಸಿಲು #ಬಿಸಿಗಾಳಿ #ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿರಿ #ಮುನ್ನೆಚ್ಚರಿಕೆವಹಿಸಿ pic.twitter.com/OIQT48nUrz
#Stayhydrated #DrinkWaterStayHealthy #StayIndoorsStayCool #BeatTheHeatIndoors #StayCoolStayInside pic.twitter.com/pB7zn45LPb
— Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (@KarnatakaSNDMC) April 25, 2024
#HeatwaveHealthcare #BeatTheHeatWithCare #HeatwaveMedicalSupport #HeatwaveFirstAid #HeatwaveSafetyCare #HeatwaveHealthTips #animalcare pic.twitter.com/PgTTbL3Z5g
— Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (@KarnatakaSNDMC) April 25, 2024
25 ರಿಂದ ಏಪ್ರಿಲ್ 29 ರವರೆಗೆ: #ಬಿಸಿಗಾಳಿ ನಿಂದ ತೀವ್ರ ಬಿಸಿಗಾಳಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಒಳನಾಡಿನ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿರುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಯಿದೆ, ಮತ್ತು ಕರಾವಳಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಸಿ ಮತ್ತು ಶುಷ್ಕ ವಾತಾವರಣವು ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿರುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಯಿದೆ
— Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (@KarnatakaSNDMC) April 25, 2024
ಆರೆಂಜ್ ಅಲರ್ಟ್ ಘೋಷಣೆ
ಮೂಲ:IMD#ರಣಬಿಸಿಲು #ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿರಿ #ಮುನ್ನೆಚ್ಚರಿಕೆವಹಿಸಿ @KarnatakaVarthe pic.twitter.com/Gs7AycqX3S
