NEW DELHI: Amid concerns of a toxic cloud of black rain drifting towards India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is closely monitoring wind patterns. Currently, the wind patterns and their elevation have kept India safe while affecting regions more heavily in Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, China, and Southeast Asian countries.
On the night of March 8, the US and Israel bombed fuel depots in Tehran, Iran. This resulted in a widespread dark plume spreading throughout the city. By the morning of March 9, residents of Tehran experienced oil raining down and flames erupting in roadside sewer systems.
Some meteorological experts have raised alarms about the toxic cloud potentially triggering acid rain and moving towards Northeast Asia, affecting several nations, including India. This coincides with a new spell of Western Disturbance expected to hit on March 9 to the upper reaches of the Himalayas, including J&K and Himachal Pradesh, while parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttarakhand may experience cloudy skies.
Repeated inquiries to the IMD regarding potential wind patterns have gone unanswered. However, unofficially, IMD has assembled a team of scientists to monitor the wind situation. They explained that the current patterns are expected to carry the toxic clouds away from India’s western Himalayas.
“Both lower and middle-level tracking models indicate that, according to the latest model runs, there will be no direct impact on India,” stated a scientist.