Chapter 2: Understanding the Weather

In Hindi, words like garmi (heat), sardi (cold), baarish (rain), umaas (humid/muggy), and thand (chill) are commonly used to describe weather. In Tamil, people say veyil (hot/sunny), mazhai (rain), and kulir (cold). Different regional languages have rich vocabularies that reflect local weather experiences, showing how closely weather is connected to everyday life.

Krishnan cannot convey the exact feeling of cold to Amir simply by saying 'chilly' because both of them have different experiences of cold — Amir lives in Kashmir where temperatures drop much lower. To communicate clearly, Krishnan would need to use a standard measurement such as degrees Celsius (°C). For example, if Krishnan says 'it is 20°C here,' Amir would immediately understand, since temperature in numbers is a universally agreed way to express how hot or cold it is.

Knowing the weather precisely in advance helps in many ways: farmers can decide the best time to sow or harvest crops, pilots and sailors can plan safe travel routes, and sports events or outdoor activities can be scheduled or cancelled accordingly. Knowing about approaching storms or floods allows governments to evacuate people and save lives. Precise weather measurement also helps industries like construction, tourism, and disaster management to plan ahead and minimise risks.

The sun provides heat energy that causes water from oceans, rivers, and lakes to evaporate and turn into water vapour. This water vapour rises into the atmosphere, cools down, condenses into clouds, and eventually falls back to the Earth as rain — this is called the water cycle. So without the sun's energy, there would be no evaporation, no clouds, and no rain, which is why the sun is said to be the source of rain.

Maximum temperature recorded: 32°C (on 03.03.2025)

Minimum temperature recorded: 14°C (on 05.03.2025)

Range of temperature:

Formula: Range = Maximum Temperature − Minimum Temperature

Substitution: Range = 32°C − 14°C

Range = 18°C

Amir, who lives in Kashmir, would likely be surprised or even amused because 20°C would feel warm or pleasant to him — in Kashmir, temperatures often drop well below 0°C in winter. Amir might say something like, '20°C is warm for me — I wish it were that warm here!' This conversation shows why using a standard unit like degrees Celsius helps people from different places understand each other clearly, even when their personal experience of 'cold' is very different.

This is an activity-based question. Here is a sample approach:

Construct a rain gauge using a plastic bottle cut at the top as a funnel, with a measuring scale marked on the side. Place it in an open, flat area away from trees or buildings. Record the rainfall reading at the same time every day, then empty the gauge.

Sample observation (hypothetical):

• Week 1: 5 mm, 0 mm, 0 mm, 8 mm, 3 mm, 0 mm, 0 mm → Average = 16/7 ≈ 2.3 mm/day
• Week 2: 12 mm, 15 mm, 10 mm, 0 mm, 5 mm, 0 mm, 0 mm → Average = 42/7 = 6 mm/day

Comment: Rainfall can vary greatly from week to week depending on cloud cover, wind direction, and seasonal changes. Weeks closer to the monsoon season tend to have higher and more frequent rainfall.

Measuring atmospheric pressure is important because changes in pressure often signal changes in weather — a drop in pressure can indicate an approaching storm, cyclone, or depression, while high pressure usually means clear weather. Meteorologists use barometer readings to forecast weather and issue warnings to the public. People most likely to use these measurements include pilots and air traffic controllers (who need to know about pressure changes for safe flying), sailors and fishermen (to avoid storms at sea), mountain climbers (as pressure drops with altitude, affecting oxygen levels), and army personnel deployed at high-altitude posts.

Yes, seeds like those of the dandelion or drumstick have light, feathery or winged structures that allow the wind to carry them far away from the parent plant. Without wind, these seeds would simply fall straight down near the parent plant, leading to overcrowding in one spot. Wind helps in dispersing seeds to new, farther locations where they have better space, sunlight, and nutrients to grow — this process is called wind dispersal and is vital for the survival and spread of many plant species.

Kochi is likely to have higher humidity than Jaipur because Kochi is a coastal city located near the Arabian Sea, where moisture from the sea constantly adds water vapour to the air, while Jaipur is an inland city in Rajasthan with a dry desert climate. To confirm this, we would need to measure the relative humidity of both cities using a hygrometer at the same time and compare the percentages. To compare humidity between two similar coastal cities like Kochi and Mangaluru, we would measure relative humidity in both cities simultaneously over several days and calculate the average — the city with the higher percentage would have greater humidity.

Wet clothes will dry faster in Delhi, because the humidity there is lower (52%) — when there is less water vapour already in the air, evaporation happens more quickly, so clothes dry faster. In Kochi, with 84% humidity, the air is already quite saturated with moisture, which slows down evaporation and makes drying slower. You are likely to sweat more in Kochi, because high humidity prevents sweat from evaporating off your skin, making you feel hotter and stickier — in Delhi, sweat evaporates faster, providing a cooling effect.

Some situations where weather predictions are helpful:

Agriculture: Farmers use predictions to decide when to sow, irrigate, or harvest crops, and to protect them from unexpected frost or heavy rain.

Transport and Travel: Airlines, shipping companies, and road transport use forecasts to plan safe routes and avoid storms or fog.

Disaster Management: Governments use storm and cyclone warnings to evacuate coastal areas and mobilise relief teams.

Daily Life: People plan outdoor events, sports tournaments, picnics, or school trips based on weather forecasts.

Health and Safety: Heat wave and cold wave warnings help people, especially the elderly and children, take precautions.

Military: Army and defence operations depend on weather predictions for mission planning, especially in high-altitude regions.

On 19 May 2024, the IMD is alerting people across different parts of India to a variety of severe weather conditions. The conditions being warned about include heavy rain, very heavy rain, extremely heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning, strong surface winds, heat waves, hailstorms, dust storms, hot and humid conditions, and fog. This indicates that while some parts of India are experiencing the onset of the pre-monsoon season with heavy rainfall, other parts — particularly in the north and northwest — are experiencing heat waves and dust storms.

Based on the IMD weather warning map for 19 May 2024, several states across India have warning signs indicating severe weather. States in the northeastern region (such as Tripura, Assam, and Meghalaya) have warnings for heavy to very heavy rain and thunderstorms. States in the northwest (such as Rajasthan and parts of Punjab/Haryana) show heat wave and dust storm warnings. Coastal states and Lakshadweep also carry warnings, particularly for strong winds and very heavy rainfall. Multiple states across peninsular India show warnings for thunder and lightning.

Parts of central and western India, and some interior regions of large states, appear to have no severe weather warnings on the map for 19 May 2024, indicated by the 'No Warning' colour on the legend. These areas were likely experiencing normal weather conditions without any extreme events such as heavy rain, heat waves, or dust storms. However, 'no warning' does not mean perfectly calm weather — it simply means conditions were not severe enough to require an alert.

Tripura, located in northeastern India, has a warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning — this is common in May as the pre-monsoon and early monsoon systems bring heavy rain to the northeastern states. Lakshadweep, being a group of islands in the Arabian Sea, faces warnings related to very heavy rainfall and strong surface winds, as the southwest monsoon arrives in this region first around late May or early June. Both warnings are connected to the advancing monsoon system approaching India from the south and southwest.

The correct matches are:

Each instrument is specially designed to measure one specific element of the weather with precision.

Jyotsna should pack light, loose, and breathable clothes made of cotton or linen, as Mumbai in June is hot (29°C) and extremely humid (84%). High humidity means sweat will not evaporate quickly, making her feel very hot and sticky — heavy or synthetic fabrics would be very uncomfortable. She should also carry a light rain jacket or umbrella, as June is the start of the Mumbai monsoon season and heavy rain is likely. Staying hydrated will also be important due to the heat and humidity.

Best site: Option 3 — Open ground with elevated platform

Reasons:

• An open ground ensures that no buildings, trees, or walls block or divert the rain before it reaches the gauge's funnel, giving accurate readings.
• An elevated platform keeps the gauge stable and prevents flooding or contamination from surface runoff.
• The vegetable garden (Option 1) may have plants that block rain; the terrace (Option 2) may have wind interference and drainage issues; the compound wall (Option 4) is unstable and may tilt; the verandah (Option 5) has a roof that would block rainfall entirely.

A rain gauge must always be placed in an open, flat, unobstructed area to collect rainfall accurately.

Weather Report: Jammu and Kashmir — 1 February 2024

Good evening. Here is the weather report for various stations across Jammu and Kashmir for today, 1st February 2024.

Srinagar: The maximum temperature today was 6.5°C, which is below the normal of 8.9°C by about 2.4 degrees. The minimum temperature was 0.2°C. Humidity was high at 89% both in the morning and evening. A trace amount of rainfall was recorded. Overall, Srinagar experienced a cold, damp day.

Qazigund: This station saw significant precipitation, with 11.8 mm of rainfall and 10 cm of snowfall in the last 24 hours. The maximum temperature was 3.2°C (well below normal) and the minimum was -0.4°C. Humidity was very high at 97%. Residents are advised to take precautions.

Pahalgam: Pahalgam recorded a maximum of 1.1°C and a minimum of -4.1°C, both below normal. Snowfall of 8 cm and rainfall of 6 mm were recorded. Humidity stood at 96%. It was a very cold and snowy day at this popular tourist destination.

Kupwara: Maximum temperature was 5.1°C, with a minimum of -0.7°C. Light rainfall of 0.5 mm was recorded with no snowfall. Humidity was 97% in the morning. Conditions were cold and cloudy.

Kukernag: Maximum temperature reached 2.6°C and minimum -1.4°C. Heavy precipitation was recorded — 12 mm of rain and 8 cm of snow. Humidity was very high at 96–97%.

Gulmarg: The coldest station today, with a maximum of -2.6°C and a minimum of -7.6°C (exactly at normal levels). Gulmarg received 8.2 mm of rain and 6.35 cm of snow. Humidity was 76% in the morning and 100% in the evening, indicating completely saturated air.

Muzafarabad: Recorded a maximum temperature of 8.5°C with humidity at 93% and 5.6 mm of precipitation.

Overall, Jammu and Kashmir is experiencing sub-zero to very low temperatures, heavy snowfall in higher altitude areas like Gulmarg and Pahalgam, and widespread high humidity. Residents and tourists are advised to stay warm and be cautious on roads due to snow.