Mangaluru: Traffic diversion announced between Pumpwell - Kankanady for seven months
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Mangaluru: The city police have announced temporary traffic diversions between Pumpwell Circle and Kankanady Bypass owing to ongoing road development work, which will continue until April 15, 2026 (seven months).
According to the notification, during the first and second phases of the development work, one side of the two-way road between Karavali Junction and Pumpwell will temporarily operate as a one-way route for vehicle movement. Similarly, the Pumpwell to Kankanady Old Road–Kankanady Junction stretch will also function as a one-way road during this period.
Parking on both sides of these stretches has been strictly prohibited for all types of vehicles.
Vehicles coming from Padil and Thokkottu towards Karavali Junction via Pumpwell Circle must take the Kankanady Old Road, proceed to Kankanady Junction, and then turn right towards Karavali Junction. Vehicles coming from Falnir Road and Valencia Road towards Pumpwell must go straight from Kankanady Junction to Karavali Junction, and then turn right towards Pumpwell Circle.
The notification was issued by the Mangaluru City Police Commissioner, who urged motorists to cooperate and follow the revised routes until the completion of the development work.
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Climate Change crisis: IMD to change parameters to declare heatwaves
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The IMD, along with its technical partners, will soon revise the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country, as the present parameters do not suit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.
Kerala, in particular, has faced difficulties in issuing heatwave warnings because of the limitations of the existing parameters.
Sources in the India Meteorological Department said the state experienced severe heat and humidity this summer and, for the first time, weather forecasts were made based on the anti-cyclone system that formed near the Karnataka–Maharashtra coast.
"We have never had an anti-cyclone system form closer to the South before, and this time we had to predict the weather based on it," a senior IMD official told PTI.
Anti-cyclonic systems are common over north-western parts of India, but this year one formed near the southern region, leading to unusually hot nights.
The anti-cyclone caused downward air movement, which pushed warm air towards the surface and prevented it from dispersing at night, the official added. As a result, Kerala recorded night temperatures 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal.
Because Kerala has experienced a steady temperature increase during the summer months for the last few years, changing the parameters for declaring heat waves would benefit the state, enabling the authorities to issue warnings more efficiently, the official added.
The IMD currently issues hot and humid weather warnings, although the situation warrants a heatwave warning, as the existing parameters do not allow the department to issue one.
At present, the IMD issues a heat wave warning in coastal areas when the maximum temperature reaches 37 degree Celsius or more with a temperature departure of 4.5 degree Celsius over the recorded maximum temperature.
For plains, the threshold is 40 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal, while for hilly regions it is 30 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more.
Officials said the current heatwave declaration parameters also require these conditions to be recorded at two stations in the state to issue the warnings.
"In Kerala, we hardly get to record these conditions in two areas; moreover, we have severe heat stress that can easily cause a heat stroke. So we have decided to rework the heatwave declaration parameters and the changes will be implemented shortly. There will be a consultation with the Disaster Management Authority also before finalising the parameters," the official said.
Throughout Kerala, temperatures recorded this summer were three to four degrees Celsius higher than usual. The state also reported multiple cases of heatstroke despite regular warnings issued by the IMD and the state disaster management authority.
According to experts, Kerala has become a climate change hotspot, with a steady increase in atmospheric temperatures and erratic monsoons.
The IMD has also predicted a below-normal monsoon this year, as this is the first time two consecutive El Nino years are being witnessed.
