The monsoon will arrive early in India this year, the national weather office said, bringing hopes of a much-needed respite from a record-breaking heatwave.
“We have a prediction for monsoon advance over Andaman [and Nicobar] islands and Kerala which will be around May 27,” India Meteorological Department director general Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told The National.
"As monsoon advances, temperature will definitely decrease in other parts of the country.
“We don’t have the exact dates for other parts as of now. Once monsoon advances over Kerala we will have a forecast, but monsoon is early this year.”
The weather bureau has predicted that the first showers were likely to hit the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands, at the southern edge of Bay of Bengal, around May 15 — about a week before the usual onset of the rainy season.
“Fairly widespread to widespread, light to moderate rainfall is very likely over Andaman and Nicobar islands during the next five days. Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over the region from May 14 to 16,” the bureau said on Thursday.
It said winds of up to 60kph were also likely in the area. Rain is expected in parts of Kerala state in south-west India and the Lakshadweep archipelago in the Arabian Sea from May 26 to 27.
The monsoon enters India's mainland from Kerala, which receives rain from about June 1, but the weather office has predicted its arrival a week early due to Cyclone Asani.
The severe storm raged for nearly a week in the Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea before it was concentrated into a depression on May 12.
“We are expecting monsoon to reach Kerala coast by May 26 and pre-monsoon in mainland India by the fag-end of May and early June,” Mahesh Palawat, vice president of private forecaster Skymet Weather, told The National.
"Usually the monsoon touches Kerala around June 1 but this year it is expected early. The cyclonic activity has strengthened the cross-equatorial flow of southwestern events helping early onset of monsoons."
The monsoon system then gradually moves north-west, covering the entire subcontinent over the next three months. The country receives about 75 per cent of its rainfall during this period.
Rainfall's huge impact on economy
India’s agriculture depends heavily on the monsoon as it irrigates more than half of the crop-growing areas. The amount of rainfall determines agricultural output and the country's economy and trade.
The news of early monsoon has come as a massive relief for northern, north-western and eastern states that have been reeling under a severe spell of heatwave.
The temperature in several parts of the capital Delhi reached 44°C to 45°C on Thursday, while at least 29 cities across the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh recorded temperatures above 44°C. Barmer in Rajasthan recorded 48°C.
Many regions in the country are experiencing severe power cuts and water scarcity, making it more difficult for residents to cope with the heat.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
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How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
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The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
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The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
match details
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Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company%20profile
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
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