In this episode of the Skymet Podcast, our weather expert Mahesh Palawat explores the hype surrounding La Niña and discusses its background and importance as it makes headlines on social media and the press. Although early monsoon forecasts indicated that La Niña would provide above-normal rains, the phenomena have not yet materialized. Although in a weak form, global models now predict that it will arrive between December and January, with neutral conditions anticipated by March. Learn the true meaning of La Niña and El Niño, how they affect India's weather and why La Niña is not likely to affect the upcoming Monsoon. Listen in for a thorough examination of these important climatic trends and follow us for more such insightful and informative content.

In this episode of the Skymet Podcast, our experts AVM GP Sharma and Mahesh Palawat, both ex-Air Force personnel, delve into the fascinating yet critical topic of air turbulence, a significant weather hazard for both aviators and air travellers.

The Science behind Clear Air Turbulence (CAT), an imperceptible and erratic phenomenon that threatens flight safety, is revealed. Discover how abrupt changes in air currents that take place in cloudless, thunderstorm-free sky can cause extreme turbulence, which can affect aircraft and endanger passengers.

The discussion also explores other types of turbulence caused by mountains, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, shedding light on their causes and effects. Tune in to understand the science of turbulence and its implications for modern aviation!

In this episode of Skymet podcast, our experts AVM GP Sharma and Mahesh Palawat investigate the first snowfall of the season in Western Himalayan mountains. The climate-related factors that cause snowfall, how it develops and why some well-known locations—like Manali, Shimla and Gulmarg—experience substantial amounts of snowfall while others—despite having comparable elevations—do not.

We also shed light on artificial snowmaking and its increasing role in enhancing tourism. This year, India experienced an early snowfall in December, breaking last year’s dry spell. The cold wave triggered by this snowfall has swept across North India, with regions like Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana feeling the chill.

Listen to the full episode to discover snow tourism, weekend and holiday destinations, the expected weather patterns for the upcoming days and know how snowfall remains a fascinating natural phenomenon.