There is Indlala, now bearing down on northeastern Madagascar. Far to the east of Indlala, there is a tropical low that could become a cyclone and, over South West Asia, there is a big, though not so clearly defined, winter storm. Anchored over the eastern Mediterranean Sea as of late Wednesday, local time, this storm is shaping the weather from the Black Sea to North East Africa and from Greece to eastern Arabia.

The big winter storm will spin slowly ashore in the Levant Thursday, then will gather speed northeastwards to Iran and the Turan Lowland of Western Turkistan (Central Asia) Friday and Saturday. Highest rain and mountain snow will be in two areas. One east of the Mediterranean Sea (Lebanon, western Syria, Israel/Occupied Palestine and northwestern Jordan) and the other along and below the Zagros Range (western Iran, northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey). If the snowline lowers below 1,000 meters/3,300 feet, the ridgelines east and west of the Jordan Trough would be whitened with snow Thursday into Thursday night.

Inevitably, big late-winter and early-spring storms kick up dust storms in this part of the world, so this may happen Thursday. Well ahead of the storm, hot, Tropical Continental air will waft through the southeastern one-third of Arabia with hot, dusty winds at 35 or even 40 degrees along the southeastern shore of the Arabian Gulf (United Arab Emirates). Mighty early for this kind of heat. Friday will also be hot, then the area will cool as the storm`s cold front sweeps east. UAE could then see a few thunderstorms (Saturday), though this seems more likely to the southeast in 'Uman (Sunday into early next week).

--India has dried and settled in the wake of the latest big storm (Western Disturbance). Now, thinks are likely to heat up in a big way as a big ridge builds aloft, down stream of the Mideast storm. In peninsular India, 40-degree heat (104 degrees F) may be reached in hot spots on several days starting late this week.

--For now, the tropical low over the tropical South Indian Ocean (southeast of Diego Garcia and far to the east of Indlala) seems to be sheared. It still does hold potential to become a tropical cyclone within the next one to three days.

--Thursday night and again Friday night, local time, there could be snow in greater Tokyo, Japan. As I wrote Tuesday, there is a clash between moisture streaming off the Asian mainland and drying in the cold northerly wind flow. If it were to snow, it would, as I understand it, prevent the first snowless winter in modern history for the Japan capital.

--Last but certainly not least, I turn back to Indlala. The latest advisory (1800 hours GMT--Tropical Cyclone Center of Reunion) fixing of the eye of Indlala is about 47 miles (75 kms) east-northeast of Antalaha, Madagascar. Drift is southwestwards at 6 knots, or 11 kph, with 95-knot (that is 175 kph) winds about a well-marked eye.

--There seems to be little chance of Indlala not crossing land Wednesday night or early Thursday, local time, over northeastern Madagascar. Highest threat lies with the Masoala Peninsula southward from Antalaha. A landfall from this storm will bring destructive winds and flooding rains. And even after interaction with land has stripped away the storm`s wind fury, its torrential rains will persist so long as it lingers in the area of eastern Madagascar (another two or three days?). The problem here is that easterly winds south of the storm core will squeeze against the island`s mountain spine, thereby wringing out torrents of rain.

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