New Delhi, July 2
Automated Weather Stations and Doppler radars are boosting real-time weather predictions in India, said Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
Speaking to the media, Singh affirmed that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mission Mausam, India’s weather forecasting system is being "substantially augmented to be of the global best standardsâ€.
“AWS and Doppler radars are being added to boost real-time weather prediction,†the Minister said.
“While cloudbursts are sudden and difficult to forecast due to their nature, our system is improving with targeted forecasts like Long Range (30 days), Short Range (3 days), and Nowcast (3 hours),†he added.
Singh noted that the forecast system in the country is so accurate that people in heavy monsoon-prone places like Mumbai tend to look at the IMD WhatsApp on their mobile phones before deciding whether to carry an umbrella or not when they move out of their house.
He also informed about dedicated weather forecast apps for farmers and agriculturists, adding that “Our weather forecast inputs are also being availed by neighbouring countries which confirms their reliabilityâ€.
However, the damage occurring after heavy rainfall or flash floods may sometimes vary depending on the local factors determining the vulnerability of the place or habitat affected, Singh said.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said very heavy rainfall is expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan over some of the next six to seven days.
It said the monsoon will remain active in many parts of northwest, central, and east India during this period.
During an online press briefing, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that good rainfall is also expected in Uttarakhand and Haryana.
"This region includes several cities and towns, including Delhi. Many south-flowing rivers originate in Uttarakhand. We must take precautions for all these river catchments, cities, and towns," Mohapatra said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While the improvements are commendable, I wish the alerts came earlier during last month's Chennai floods. Many areas could have been evacuated if warnings came 6 hours before instead of 3. The system needs to be faster for extreme weather events.
The IMD WhatsApp service is a game-changer! As a Mumbai resident, I check it every morning before leaving home. Monsoon predictions are 90% accurate these days. Only wish they'd expand the service to include air quality alerts too 🌧ï¸â˜”
It's impressive that India's weather tech is now being used by neighboring countries too. Shows how far we've come from the days of relying solely on traditional knowledge and almanacs. The Doppler radar network expansion is particularly noteworthy.
Good to see tech helping in weather prediction, but what about urban planning? Mumbai floods happen because of poor drainage, not just heavy rains. Need to fix infrastructure along with better forecasts.
As someone who lost property in last year's cloudburst, I appreciate the efforts but request more localized warnings. Sometimes my area gets flooded while the general city forecast says 'moderate rain'. Need hyper-local data! 🚨
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