Karnataka likely to experience hailstorm between 1-3 April; 25 districts put on alert
Bengaluru: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for several regions of the state, forecasting heavy rainfall with hailstorm in more than 25 districts of the state over the next few days.
In a forecast issued on Monday, the IMD has said that cloudy skies with thunderstorms and strong winds of 40-50 km/h velocity are expected from April 1-3; hailstorms are likely in Coastal and North Interior Karnataka on April 2-3 and widespread rain are expected on April 4. Residents are advised to stay updated with weather alerts and take necessary precautions, especially in districts under the yellow alert.
The following districts are placed on yellow alert: Vijayanagar, Tumkur, Shivamogga, Ramanagara, Mysuru, Mandya, Kolar, Kodagu, Hassan, Davangere, Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Chikkaballapur, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban, Vijayapura, Haveri, Gadag, Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi.
The IMD has said that, between April 1 and 3, scattered moderate rain is expected in North Interior Karnataka, while South Interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru and coastal districts, are likely to witness widespread moderate rainfall. Some areas of the state will receive heavy showers, it has predicted.
It has also issued a hailstorm warning for Coastal Karnataka and North Interior Karnataka, adding that isolated hailstorms are expected in South Interior Karnataka on April 3.
On April 4 too, most parts of the state will receive heavy rainfall, while Bidar, Koppal, Raichur, and Yadgir districts will continue to experience dry weather, with only moderate rainfall.
The IMD stated that so far Kalaburagi district Kalaburagi recorded the highest maximum temperature at 40.6°C. Chamarajanagar recorded the lowest temperature at 15.4°C.
The Meteorological Department has clarified that the sudden change in weather conditions due to a depression over the Odisha coast, which may intensify into a cyclone.
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Delhi govt likely to conduct trail for artificial rain in May to combat pollution: Minister
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI): The Delhi government is likely to conduct a trial for artificial rain in May as part of its efforts to tackle air pollution, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Thursday.
The trial will be carried out in an area in outer Delhi, with the final site selection to be made by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and IIT Kanpur, he said.
Sirsa said the plan is part of a broader strategy to tackle pollution using multiple methods.
“This is a war against pollution and we are working on various measures, with artificial rain being one of them. Before implementing it on a large scale, we will try to conduct a trial in May when summer is at its peak,” he added.
He further said, “We have asked for detailed reports to determine whether the chemicals used in cloud seeding could have any harmful effects on human health or the environment."
Based on the findings, we will conduct a small-scale test and analyze water samples. If the trial is successful, we will expand the project across Delhi during periods of severe pollution, the environment minister said.
