Satellite Images METEOSAT Images Live Lightning & Thunderstorm Monsoon In India Advertise With Us

Home >

Weather FAQs

What is fog?

December 11, 2015

Fog is a complex atmospheric phenomenon, which can be considered as a type of low-lying cloud. Formation of fog is influenced by nearby water bodies, topography, wind speed and even human activities. Officially, fog is defined as visibility of less than 1,000 meters. This limit is suitable for aviation purposes but for people on the …

What is a Polar Vortex?

December 3, 2015

Polar Vortex is a much-talked about phenomenon in the meteorological world, for decades now. You might suddenly experience brutally cold weather and find your car buried under ice-encrusted snow. Meteorologists will explain the cause of your misery and blame it upon the polar vortex. So what is a polar vortex? It is simply a large pocket …

Why Vidarbha and Marathwada receive scanty Monsoon rains

July 14, 2015

Delayed Monsoon, scanty rain and deficient rainfall are some of the adjectives that have begun to describe interior parts of Maharashtra – Vidarbha and Marathwada. The continuation of the dry spell often leads to delayed or poor sowing of kharif crops – the lifeline of farmers in the two sub-divisions. The deficient rainfall sometimes extends …

What is MJO or Madden-Julian Oscillation?

July 10, 2015

The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is an oceanic-atmospheric phenomenon which affects weather activities across the globe. It brings major fluctuation in tropical weather on weekly to monthly timescales. The MJO can be defined as an eastward moving ‘pulse’ of clouds, rainfall, winds and pressure near the equator that typically recurs every 30 to 60 days. It’s …

What is 'Break' Monsoon Period?

July 4, 2015

During the Monsoon season, there are periods when the Monsoon trough shifts closer to the foothills of Himalayas, which leads to sharp decrease in rainfall over most parts of the country. However, rainfall increase along the foothills of Himalayas, Northeast India and parts of the Southern Peninsula (Rayalseema and Tamil Nadu). Such a synoptic situation …

What is a high tide and low tide?

July 2, 2015

Tides are defined as the periodic rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of gravitational interaction between the Sun, the Earth and the Moon, and the rotation of the Earth. An important point to be kept in mind is that the gravitational force exerted by the sun on the earth is …

What is a Trough?

June 27, 2015

A trough is an extension of isobars from a low pressure area in the surface levels. It is defined as an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with weather systems. Along a trough line winds rotate in an anti-clock direction. A trough is represented by a line between two opposing winds. If …

What is lightning?

June 23, 2015

Lightning, as we see, is a bright flash of electricity coming down from the sky. It is generally produced by a thunderstorm. At times, lightning can have dangerous consequences. In fact, every year lightning kills and injures a lot of people. According to latest satellite data, every day more than 3 million lightning flashes worldwide. …

What is Southwest Monsoon?

June 5, 2015

The term Monsoon was first used in English in British India, which includes present day’s India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The Southwest Monsoon winds are called ‘Nairutya Maarut’ in India. Click here to know about what is Monsoon? The reversal of winds start taking place over the Indian sub-continent during the summer season, when cold and …

What is Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)?

June 4, 2015

The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is defined by the difference in the sea surface temperature between the two equatorial areas of the Indian Ocean – a western pole near the Arabian Sea (in western Indian Ocean) and an eastern pole closer to the Bay of Bengal (in eastern Indian Ocean). The IOD affects the climate …