Avid texters will soon have a new way to talk about the growing impacts of climate change: an emoji depicting a tree without leaves. Approval of the emoji was revealed in an update earlier this year from the Unicode Consortium. The leafless tree – also known as the “dead tree” or “dying tree” emoji –…
A groundbreaking study conducted by Andy Tomkins and his team at Monash University in Melbourne suggests that Earth once had rings that lasted for approximately ten million years and may have influenced the planet’s climate.The research, detailed in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, is based on an analysis of 21 asteroid craters from…
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand forest department has established 42 field-based “ecological laboratories” across the state to monitor changes in its forests, which are being influenced by climate change, reports Shivani Azad. These labs will provide crucial data on the impact of erratic climate patterns, including early flowering in species such as rhododendrons and Brahmakamal.TOI had previously…
NEW DELHI: Indian weather scientists hope to have enough expertise in the next five years to not only enhance rain but also suppress it, along with hail and lightning, in certain areas at will.This means, if Delhi or any other city wants to suppress rains during, say, I-Day celebrations, scientists would be able to do…
NEW DELHI: The Kerala government under chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided on Tuesday to prioritise the scientific use of land and deployment of localised early warning systems to prevent disasters like the recent Wayanad landslides.This approach aims to enhance state’s resilience against future natural calamities. The administration recognises that while climate-linked disasters cannot be…
HYDERABAD: There has been an alarming spike in deaths due to lightning strikes across country between 2010 and 2020. And climate-change induced extreme weather may only trigger more deaths.A team of researchers led by Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, Odisha, studied National Crime Records Bureau data to find that lightning caused a staggering 1,01,309 deaths between…
NEW DELHI: The National Crime Records Bureau shared data that drew attention to the spike of deaths due to lightning strikes in the country. The analysis described the decade from 2010- 2020 as the “deadliest decade” with an “alarming” spike.The data showed a rise in the average annual fatalities per state and union territory from…
NEW DELHI: As the national attention turns to Wayanad where rescue operations are in full swing after deadly landslides which has claimed the lives of over 280 people till now, the Kerala government has issued a directive for the scientists banning them from visiting the affected sites and issuing any statement regarding it.In a letter…
NEW DELHI: NEW DELHI: Heatwave conditions have returned to parts of North India, bringing a surge in temperatures that surpassed 45°C in many regions on Monday, after a brief respite in recent days.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for northwest and east India, predicting a further rise in temperatures by two to…
NEW DELHI: Temperatures soared above 52º Celsius Pakistan’s Sindh on Monday, nearing the country’s record high amidst a persistent heatwave. Mohenjo Daro in Sindh witnessed temperatures as high as 52.2 C (126 F) in the last 24 hours, as reported by Shahid Abbas, a senior official of the Pakistan Meteorological Department. This reading is the…
