Category: Environment

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Environment India News

Cold wave grips Delhi: Flights, trains delayed

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Sunday morning was recorded to be 8.5 degree celsius, as per IMD….reports Asian Lite News

The National Capital woke up to another chilling morning on Sunday as the temperature was recorded in single digit, causing inconvenience to passengers as several flights and trains were delayed.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility at Delhi-Palam was reduced from 400 meters at 2:00 am to 100 meters at 2:30 am on Sunday, and it further reduced to 0 meters since 3:00 am.

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Sunday morning was recorded to be 8.5 degree celsius, as per IMD.

In another post on X, the IMD said, “Fog layer is very clearly visible over the plains of north India from Punjab to Bihar across Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, northwest Rajasthan, and north Madhya Pradesh at 6:30 am today.”

“Dense to Very Dense Fog observed in isolated pockets over Delhi, North Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh,” the weather department added.

Nearly a dozen passenger trains to the national capital were also running behind schedule.

As per the northern railways, around 11 trains like the Amritsar-Nanded Express, Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Exp, Ambedkarnagar-Katra, and Manikpur-Nizamuddin Express, among others, were delayed due to dense fog conditions.

Similarly, at Delhi airport, people were seen waiting for their flights that were late by several hours. Some of the flights were also announced as canceled, causing inconvenience to the passengers.

“My flight was delayed because of fog. It was supposed to land here at 4:45 am, but it landed at around 5:35 am,” said Neha Beniwal, a passenger who came from Bahrain.

Delhi airport authorities also issued an advisory, stating that passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight operations.

Notably, the IMD has predicted Very Dense fog conditions on January 22. Foggy conditions are likely to prevail for the rest of the days until January 27.

People were seen sitting around a bonfire to keep themselves warm as the cold wave continued in Delhi.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, low visibility was recorded in several parts of Northern India, causing inconvenience to passengers traveling by train and air. (ANI)

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-Top News Environment

‘Climate change may claim 14.5 mn lives by 2050’

The report analysed six major consequences of climate change: floods, droughts, heat waves, tropical storms, wildfires and rising sea levels…reports Asian Lite News

Climate change threatens to cause an additional 14.5 million deaths and $12.5 trillion in economic losses worldwide by 2050, according to a World Economic Forum (WEF) report published here.

The report, jointly compiled by the WEF and the consulting firm Oliver Wyman, is based on “scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the most likely trajectory for the planet’s rising average temperature, 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels”.

The report analysed six major consequences of climate change: floods, droughts, heat waves, tropical storms, wildfires and rising sea levels.

Flooding alone is estimated to cause 8.5 million deaths by 2050, posing “the highest acute risk of climate-induced mortality”, according to the study. Droughts, as the second leading cause of climate-related mortality, are forecast to claim 3.2 million lives.

Heat waves, on the other hand, are expected to cause the highest economic losses, an estimated $7.1 trillion by 2050. The report warned that climate crisis will further exacerbate global health inequality and the most vulnerable populations will suffer the most.

Regions such as Africa and southern Asia will remain particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, due to their limited resources such as infrastructure and essential medical equipment.

The WEF, in the report, called on global stakeholders to take decisive and strategic action to reduce emissions and mitigate the negative health impacts of climate change.

“Recent progress will be lost unless critical emission reduction and mitigation measures are improved, and decisive global action is taken to build climate resilient and adaptable health systems,” said Shyam Bishen, head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare and member of the Executive Committee at the WEF.

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Environment UAE News

UAE Hospitality Leader Pledges $2 Million to UNICEF for Climate Action

Abdulla’s continuous support over the years has played a pivotal role in advancing UNICEF’s mission…reports Asian Lite News

Abdulla Al Abdulla, Chief Operating Officer and Group General Manager of Central Hotels and Resorts, the UAE’s rapidly expanding hospitality entity, underscores his resolute dedication to combatting the Climate Crisis. He has pledged a substantial $2 million to bolster UNICEF’s programmatic response at the recently concluded COP28.

This substantial contribution will be strategically allocated to target projects addressing climate change’s direct and indirect consequences. Abdulla’s continuous support over the years has played a pivotal role in advancing UNICEF’s mission. 

His remarkable generosity underscores the importance of collective action in mitigating the impact of climate change on children worldwide. The pledged funds will be instrumental in implementing targeted projects that aim to create a sustainable future for children globally.

“In the face of the climate crisis, my commitment to UNICEF’s cause at COP28 is more than a pledge; it’s a promise to safeguard the future of our planet and the well-being of generations to come,” said Abdulla.  

Before signing the agreement, Abdulla served as a panelist moderated by Financial Times. He discussed important topics, including climate resilience and adaptation, with a specific emphasis on water security.

UNICEF acknowledges Abdulla’s significant investment as a catalyst for positive change and a vital step forward in realizing our shared vision. 

“UNICEF is grateful for the generous donation from Abdulla al Abdulla and for his commitment to help address the impacts of climate change in vulnerable communities. Over 1 billion children are at extremely high risk of severe and destructive climate hazards. This commitment will help UNICEF save and protect children’s lives,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden.

This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing global challenges and underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to create a more sustainable and resilient future for the next generation. 

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Environment India News

Flight Affected As Fog Cripples Delhi Airport

The 120 affected flights included 21 international departures, 23 international arrivals, 33 domestic departures, and 43 domestic arrivals….reports Asian Lite News

The national capital continues to grapple with biting cold and fog, impacting visibility and causing delays and cancellations in flight and train operations on Wednesday morning.

Flight movement to and from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport remained affected with around 120 flights including international ones getting delayed by several hours. 53 flights were also announced cancelled on Wednesday due to fog and other operational issues.

According to the Delhi Airport Flight Information Display System (FIDS) data, the 120 affected flights included 21 international departures, 23 international arrivals, 33 domestic departures, and 43 domestic arrivals.

Apart from the 120 flights affected, a total of 53 flights have been cancelled citing fog and other operational reasons, as per the FIDS data recorded till 8 am on Wednesday. This includes 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures, and 3 international arrivals.

Meanwhile, around 20 passenger trains to Delhi were running behind schedule on Wednesday.

According to the Northern Railways, two trains namely Puri-Nizamuddin Purushottam Express and Hyderabad-New Delhi were delayed by around 6-6.30 hours.

Similarly, Azamgarh-Delhi Junction Kaifiyat Express and Ambedkarnagar-Katra were also running behind schedule and are likely to arrive late by around five hours.

A four-and-a-half-hour delay is expected on the arrival of the Katihar-Amritsar Express, the railways’ data mentioned.

Six trains namely, Rewa-Anand Vihar Express, Vasco-Nizamuddin Express, Bhopal-Nizamuddin Express, Khajarao-Kurukshetra, Amritsar-Mumbai and Manikpru-Nizamuddin are likely to arrive late by around 2-2.45 hours.

In addition to these, eight long-distance trains are delayed by around 1-1.30 hours, as per the railways. This included Howrah-Kalka Mail, Saharsa-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Prayagraj-New Delhi Express, Muzaffarpur-Anand Vihar, Chennai-New Delhi and Jammutawi-Ajmer, the railways said.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, visibility was recorded below 200 metres in several parts of the country including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, West Rajasthan, West and East Uttar Pradesh at around 5.30 am on Wednesday.

Further, as per IMD, dense fog was observed in isolated areas of Delhi, East Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam on Wednesday morning. (ANI)

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-Top News Environment USA

Icy winds, heavy snowfall disrupt life in US

At least 10 people have died due to weather-relation conditions, including three homeless persons in the Milwaukee area…reports Asian Lite News

A Polar Vortex in the North Pole has led to several US cities witness severe cold weather conditions with temperatures dipping in the Midwest and the Northeastern region to a freezing minus -41 degrees Celsius, while 125 million people remain under wind chill advisories.

At least 10 people have died due to weather-relation conditions, including three homeless persons in the Milwaukee area, according to media reports. The three deaths are being investigated as possible cases of hypothermia cases.

The National Weather Service said temperatures could reach minus 30 degrees, with wind chill in the Plains and minus 50 in Montana and the Dakotas. The weather in Iowa is having an effect on the presidential campaign, with several events canceled ahead of Monday’s caucuses.

State capital Des Moines is forecast to have wind chills of minus 20 to minus 30. Another surge of Arctic air is expected to drop south over the Midwest and the northern Plains states, bringing potentially hazardous weather by midweek, NBC reported.

As rough weather was freezing the East Coast, a public transit bus in Philadelphia slid backward down a city street, NBC Philadelphia reported.

The National Weather Service office that serves Philadelphia said the city was likely to get 4 inches of snow overnight. As people across most of the US turned up the heat and stayed inside amid frigid temperatures, Montana took the title for the coldest temperature in the country, media reports said.

An area 13 miles north of Sulphur Springs, Montana, recorded a temperature of minus 42 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

The warmest weather was near Sunniland, Florida, around 50 miles southeast of Fort Myers, which had a temperature of 29 degrees, according to the agency. Meanwhile, 3,071 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled on Monday, according to a flight tracking website, on a day when there were ground stops at some airports due to the winter weather gripping the country.

The most canceled flights were at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where 509 arriving or departing flights were canceled, according to the website FlightAware. The second hightest was at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with a combined 441 cancellations, according to the site.

Both airports said that the weather was affecting travel and causing planes to de-ice. They advised passengers to budget extra time. Snow fell across the South this weekend and Monday, suddenly covering communities better known for brutal summers in a winter’s blanket, NBC said.

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-Top News Environment USA

John Kerry Resigns as US Climate Envoy

John Kerry in Brussels to renew climate cooperation

Kerry championed cooperation on global warming between the US and China, the world’s two largest polluters, during times of tension…reports Asian Lite News

US climate envoy John Kerry is reportedly planning to step down from his role and work on President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign.

80-year-old Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate, plans to step down by spring, ending a three-year run in a major diplomatic role that was created especially for him and which will face an uncertain future with his departure, The New York Times reported.

He led the US negotiating team through three United Nations climate summits, reasserting American leadership after the country withdrew from the Paris climate agreement during the Trump administration.

Kerry championed cooperation on global warming between the US and China, the world’s two largest polluters, during times of tension, the media outlet reported.

As Secretary of State under former President Barack Obama, Kerry was key to brokering the crucial 2015 Paris climate agreement.

That deal saw nearly the whole world for the first time support a common strategy to cut the greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming, the BBC reported.

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-Top News Environment USA

Powerful Storm Batters Parts of Eastern US

In Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina, as many as four deaths were reported as storms hit the states with fierce winds, rain and tornadoes….reports Asian Lite News

A powerful storm has battered large areas of the eastern US. The storm has knocked out power across several states, leading to multiple rescues. It delivered its final blow to New England on Wednesday, CNN reported.

On Wednesday, multiple rivers were at major flood stage in the eastern US, most of them in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Flooding forced evacuations in New Jersey and Connecticut, where the Yantic River came perilously close to hitting a record high level and a dam was damaged.

In Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina, as many as four deaths were reported as storms hit the states with fierce winds, rain and tornadoes.

An 81-year-old woman was among those killed after her Cottonwood, Alabama, mobile home was flipped multiple times on Tuesday, according to Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe.

The number of power outages dropped as the storm moved away, but more than 120,000 homes and businesses were in the dark on Wednesday night in the eastern US, primarily in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont and Maine, according to PowerOutage.us. And high temperatures in the Northeast were expected to top out only in the 30s and 40s on Wednesday, leaving many without power in frigid weather, as per CNN.

The storm generated 25 tornado reports across Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina since Monday. In South Carolina, “significant damage” from a potential tornado was reported in the city of Bamberg, 60 miles south of Columbia, where the century-old City Hall building collapsed, according to city clerk-treasurer Robin Chavis.

A section of Interstate 80 in Iowa had to be closed down on Tuesday afternoon due to whiteout conditions that led to a multi-vehicle crash. In Kansas, around 30 people, including children, got stranded and had to be rescued from vehicles and taken to a high school during blizzard and whiteout conditions on Monday, CNN reported. (ANI)

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Environment India News Politics

Delhi Extends Winter Break for Schools, Withdraws Notice Hours Later

Delhi’s Directorate of Education said that further orders regarding winter break may be issued in due course….reports Asian Lite News

Hours after the issuance, the Delhi government retracted an order pertaining to the extension of winter vacation in schools within the national capital.

The Department of Education clarified that the earlier order, which extended the winter break, was mistakenly issued. It has been immediately withdrawn, and a decision regarding the matter will be made tomorrow morning.

Delhi’s Directorate of Education said that further orders regarding winter break may be issued in due course.

“Order No.DE.23(3)/Sch.Br./2024/18 dated: January 6, 2024, regarding extension of Winter Vacation stands withdrawn with immediate effect. Further orders in this regard may be issued in due course,” the updated order read.

The Delhi government, in the previous order, extended the winter break till January 10 in all the government-aided and unaided recognised private schools of the national capital territory (NCT) in light of ‘extreme cold waves and IMD’s yellow alert’.

Meanwhile, due to persistent unavailability of sunlight, a cold day to severe cold day was witnessed in some parts of Delhi, East Rajasthan, northwest Rajasthan, Haryana and in isolated pockets over Punjab with maximum temperatures over North India’s plains ranging from 12-18 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperatures recorded at various stations displayed a significant departure from the normal range for this time of year.

Fog: Trains Running Late

As many as 20 trains are expected to arrive late in the national capital on Monday due to fog in several parts of the country, the railway officials said.

As per the Northern Railways, at least four trains are running late by about 6 hours, namely Katihar-Amritsar Express, Khajuarao-Kurukshetra Express, Jammutawi-Ajmer Express and Ajmer-Katra Pooja Express.

Three trains including Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express, Ambedkarnagar-Katra Express and Chennai-New Delhi GT are likely to arrive late by around 2 hours while Manikpur-Nizamuddin Express is expected to arrive almost 4 hours late, the railway officials said.

The officials further stated that as many as 12 trains are running late by around 1-1.30 hours including Kanpur-New Delhi Shramshakti, Saharsa-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Banglore-Nizamuddin, Bhubneshwar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Prayagraj-New Delhi Express, Rajendranagar-New Delhi Express, Muzaffarpur-Anand Vihar Express, Amritsar-Mumbai Express, Hyderabad-New Delhi Express and Chennai-New Delhi GT.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), shallow to moderate fog was experienced in isolated pockets over Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha earlier in the day.

The visibility recorded was below 500 metres in several parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Further, the IMD said that conditions of very dense fog are observed over isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar while dense fog is expected over isolated pockets of Madhya Pradesh.

In view of the prevailing weather conditions in Chandigarh, the state education department announced that there will be no classes, in physical mode, up to class 8 in any government, government-aided and recognised private schools of UT Chandigarh for the next six days, that is from January 8, 2024, to January 13, 2024.

The official order further stated that the schools may organise online classes for their students of these classes.

Also, several parts of Delhi witnessed thin fog as cold weather conditions intensified in the national capital.

A layer of fog was seen across AIIMS, and Barapullah Flyover areas in Delhi earlier in the day.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality in the national capital continues to be in the very poor category with the overall Air Quality Index recorded above 300.

Dense fog was seen in Bihar’s Patna. A thin layer of fog was also seen on Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir amid the prevailing weather conditions. (ANI)

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Environment

Delhi shivers in biting cold as temperature dips further

The IMD also issued a health advisory to the public warning against lung-related health impacts due to dense fog and cold wave…reports Asian Lite News

The cold wave continues to tightened its grip over Delhi-NCR with the minimum temperature recorded at 7.3 degrees on Thursday morning, as per India Meteorological Department data.

The maximum temperature is expected to be around 15 degrees in the national capital today and the fog conditions are likely to decrease in the next two days, the IMD said.

While IMD said that the cold wave is likely to persist for the next 2-3 days in Delhi and the National Capital Region.

As per IMD data, fog conditions were observed over Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, and Bihar and dense fog prevailed over Madhya Pradesh and Tripura while the Jammu division experienced moderate fog conditions.

The air quality in several parts of Delhi remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

According to the CPCB data, the Air Quality Index was recorded at 379 in RK Puram on Thursday morning, 312 in Lodhi Road, 377 ITO area and 387 in the IGI Airport area.

As per IMD, cold day to severe cold day conditions are likely to continue over some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during the next two days and decrease thereafter.

Also, IMD said that dense to very dense fog is likely to continue over some parts of the plains of Northwest and East India during the next two days and gradually decrease thereafter.

A rise by 2-3 degrees in minimum temperatures is likely over many parts of Central and East India during the next 3 days and no significant change thereafter, the IMD said.

The IMD also issued a health advisory to the public warning against lung-related health impacts due to dense fog and cold wave.

“Dense fog contains particulate matter and other pollutants and in case exposed it gets lodged in the lungs, clogging them and decreasing their functional capacity which increases episodes of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath,” the IMD said.

Warning against eye irritation, IMD said that pollutants in the air if exposed may tend to irritate the membranes of the eye causing various infections leading to redness or swelling of the eye. (ANI)

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Environment Environment and WIldlife India News

Kashmir Gripped by Harsh Winter Chill

Demands for potable water have started pouring in from places otherwise believed to be sufficiently provided through water supply schemes by the Jal Shakti department….reports Asian Lite News

Intense dry cold wave continued in Kashmir on Wednesday as most water bodies froze in part recording alarmingly low discharge.

Kashmir is reeling under intense dry cold wave as Dal, Nigeen, Wullar and all other lakes, streams and rivers froze in parts while the water level in these dropped alarmingly low due to very scant snowfall and that too only in the mountains so far this season.

Demands for potable water have started pouring in from places otherwise believed to be sufficiently provided through water supply schemes by the Jal Shakti department.

Weather office has forecast cloudy weather from January 4 to January 6, adding that this is unlikely to result in rain/snowfall in the plains.

Srinagar city had minus 4.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday as the minimum temperature while Gulmarg and Pahalgam had minus 3.8 and minus 6.6 respectively.

In Ladakh region, Leh town had minus 15.2, Kargil minus 12.4 and Drass minus 14 as the minimum temperature.

Jammu city had 7, Katra 4.4, Batote 2.6, Bhaderwah 0.3 and Banihal minus 1.6.

Meanwhile, with a drop in the maximum temperature, the Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir experienced extreme cold conditions on New Year’s Day. The visibility in the area was near zero due to thick fog on Monday evening.

The fog in the area was caused by a change in the wind pattern from dry, cold north-westerly to moisture-laden easterly due to a weak western disturbance.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Valley witnessed a bone-chilling first day of the year as the minimum temperature dropped several degrees below freezing point in many areas on Monday.

The minimum temperature in the summer capital of Srinagar dropped to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius in the morning, a weather official said.

As Kashmir grapples with the extreme cold, its impact on daily life and infrastructure is palpable.

The freezing temperatures have made daily activities a challenge for residents.

“The temperature in Jammu and Kashmir was minus 5.4 at night. Wherever we pour water, it freezes. People are coming in large numbers to enjoy the weather. Yesterday, there was a big celebration in front of Lal Chowk. We pray that if there is snowfall, then the cold will subside a little because our children and elders have fallen ill,” a local in Srinagar said while speaking to ANI.

Dal Lake and other water bodies, which attract tourists and locals for rides, have frozen. (IANS/ANI)

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