Astronomers concerned over mercury rise

Ujjain, MP, Apr 1 (UNI) With the mercury rising over the past week, India and surrounding countries recorded an average increase of six degrees Celsius even as concerned astronomers said that such a rise in March was taking place after four decades.

''The atmosphere is becoming hypersensitive due to increasing pollution and any unusual activity on the Sun's surface affects the Earth's weather,'' the Varahmihira Research Institution's Sanjay Kethwas said in a release issued here today.

The astronomer claimed that unusual explosions were taking place on the Sun's surface since the last week of February though a phase of sunspot activity had become dormant.

''Unseasonal rain in the first fortnight of April may provide relief,'' Mr Kethwas added.

UNI