Latest news with #MissionMausam
News18
7 days ago
- Climate
- News18
Mizoram guv bats for weather radar in Mizoram
Agency: PTI Aizawl, Jul 23 (PTI) Mizoram Governor Vijay Kumar Singh on Wednesday stressed the need for installing a weather radar in the state, Raj Bhavan sources said. During a meeting with IMD's Aizawl director Sudheer Kumar Dwivedi, Singh emphasised the need for closer collaboration with line departments and the media to ensure that weather updates are communicated effectively in the local language for the benefit of people, sources said. The governor commended the work of the local meteorological centre in providing accurate weather forecasts and critical data, and urged it to intensify its efforts to disseminate information widely. Dwivedi presented a detailed overview of the IMD's initiatives and future plans through a PowerPoint presentation. Key initiatives include seven-day weather forecasts, air quality index to attract tourists, along with tailored weather forecasts for four popular tourist destinations in the state, the sources said. Weather data updates, issued every six hours, are shared through social media and the official website. Future plans set for implementation this year include installing a Doppler Weather Radar at Laipuitlang in Aizawl, as part of Mission Mausam, Dwivedi said. Given that 90 per cent of cyclonic activity impacting the state comes from the southern region, a new meteorological office will be established in Siaha in the southern part of the state, he said. A training and awareness hub for students will be set up at the meteorological centre in Aizawl, and plans are also afoot to upgrade the Aerodrome Meteorological Station (ASM) at Lengpui into an advanced Aerodrome Meteorological Office (AMO) in the near future, Dwivedi said. PTI CORR MNB view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 20:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Observatories to be deployed at sea to enhance forecasts
Chennai: Indian researchers will soon deploy observatories in the sea to collect continuous oceanographic and meteorological data to improve weather forecast accuracy and support climate studies. Work is already underway, with researchers from the city-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) conducting offshore geotechnical investigations for a coastal observatory. A 15-metre-tall platform was installed at a 10-metre water depth off their campus in Pamanji, Andhra Pradesh. The observatories will be installed under the Mission Mausam initiative to make India 'weather ready' and 'climate smart'. "Unlike buoys in the ocean, which provide only surface-level data, these observatories will have instruments to measure subsurface, surface, and atmospheric parameters and transmit data in real time. A lidar will be used as a probing device to penetrate a few kilometres into the atmosphere and provide a vertical profile, including cloud density and wind speed and direction," said M Ravichandran, secretary, ministry of earth sciences. He said the observatories will be deployed less than 60 km from the shoreline, starting along the east coast, with at least one observatory for every coastal state to complement land-based radars. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Experts said that while Doppler Weather Radars on land with a 100 km to 500 km radius capacity, detect and measure thunderstorm clouds, precipitation, winds, and cyclonic movement, no such observations exist over ocean. IMD also launches radiosondes or weather balloons daily to obtain vertical profiles over land, but not at sea. "We do not know how coastal currents are changing and what variabilities impact weather. Unlike on land, we don't have data on diurnal variation in the ocean. This is a challenge for forecasting in coastal regions," Ravichandran said. India currently relies on satellites, ship-based surveys, and argo floats for ocean observations. These provide mostly surface-level or snapshot data and lack the depth and continuity needed for detailed modelling. "Atmospheric data helps in nowcasting and short-term forecasts. But for 10–15-day, monthly, or seasonal forecasts, or long-term studies, the clue is ocean," Ravichandran added. The observatories will also help generate long-term time-series data critical for understanding ocean variability, monsoon behaviour, and climate change.
Hans India
24-06-2025
- Science
- Hans India
Cyclone warning systems more accurate now: MoES
New Delhi: Cyclone warning systems have become substantially more accurate, with improvements of up to 65 per cent in landfall prediction within 48 hours, a senior official on Monday said. Addressing a press conference on 11 years of the Modi government, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) Secretary Dr M. Ravichandran said forecasts of other severe weather events such as heavy rainfall, fog, and heatwaves have improved by 40 per cent over the last five years. Monsoon forecasting has also seen a major shift, moving from statistical to physics-based models under the National Monsoon Mission, significantly enhancing the accuracy and spatial resolution of seasonal predictions. 'These improvements are the result of sustained investments in research infrastructure and technology over the past decade,' said Dr Ravichandran, while outlining the ministry's key achievements from 2014 to 2025. Among the major milestones highlighted was the launch of the Bharat Forecast System in May 2025, a high-resolution (6 km) global weather model aimed at strengthening India's capability in weather prediction. In September 2024, the government also rolled out 'Mission Mausam', a nationwide initiative to make India 'weather ready and climate smart'. India's first Earth System Model (IITM-ESM) played a key role in international climate science, contributing to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report (IPCC AR6) and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), he said. In ocean science, the Deep Ocean Mission marked a turning point with successful wet harbour trials of Matsya-6000, India's manned submersible capable of reaching 6,000 metres below sea level. Dr Ravichandran said this will pave the way for deep-sea exploration and sustainable extraction of marine resources. 'We have also discovered two active and two inactive hydrothermal vents in the Indian Ocean and identified 23 new species in biodiversity surveys --strengthening India's position in ocean science,' he added. The Ministry also released an Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas to assess renewable energy potential, estimated at 9.2 lakh TWh annually, from India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including wave, tidal, wind and ocean thermal energy. Services for the fishing and maritime community have expanded considerably, with over seven lakh fishermen now receiving Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, up from one lakh in 2014. Marine services such as oil spill alerts, coral bleaching forecasts and harmful algal bloom warnings now reach nearly 9.45 lakh stakeholders across India and in six other Indian Ocean countries, the official said. India's tsunami alert capabilities have also advanced, he added. 'Earlier, we were limited to Indian Ocean events, but now we can issue tsunami warnings within 10 minutes for any global ocean earthquake. These alerts are shared with 25 Indian Ocean Rim countries,' said Dr Ravichandran. In polar science, India continues to operate two Antarctic research stations and one in the Arctic, supporting over 100 scientists annually. The passage of the Antarctic Bill in 2022 and the release of the Indian Arctic Policy the same year further strengthened India's scientific and diplomatic presence in polar regions, he said. Domestically, the National Seismological Network now comprises 166 observatories, up from 86 in 2014, enabling the detection of earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 and above, he said. Eight Indian cities have undergone seismic microzonation to improve earthquake-resilient infrastructure, he said. A three-km deep borehole in Maharashtra's Koyna region is being studied to understand reservoir-triggered quakes. The MoES official said the ministry has also implemented thermal desalination in Lakshadweep, improving access to potable water and reducing water-borne illnesses. Coastal restoration projects in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu have reclaimed eroded beaches using innovative engineering solutions. To make scientific services more accessible, the ministry has launched several public-facing mobile apps -- Mausam, Meghdoot, Damini, SAFAR AIR, and Bhookamp -- and digital platforms like the Earth System Science Data Portal and Digital Ocean.
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Business Standard
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
Explained: What is the new Bharat Forecast System and how does it work?
The Ministry of Science on Monday launched the Bharat Forecast System (BFS), saying it is the world's most precise indigenously developed weather forecasting model. The system has become operational after three years of testing since its launch in 2022. Let's understand in detail what the Bharat Forecast System is and how it is more accurate, fast, and effective than the previously used models. What is Bharat Forecast System? Bharat Forecast System, developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, is a weather forecasting and monitoring system which uses high-end computer systems and satellite imagery. The use of the supercomputer 'Arka' makes it possible to deliver the results at the highest possible speed, which is faster than any other forecasting system in the world. The supercomputer has a capacity of 11.77 petaflops and a storage capacity of 33 petabytes. According to Parthasarathy Mukhopadhayay, one of the researchers involved in the project, the data from a network of 40 Doppler Weather Radars (a system of high-resolution weather monitoring stations) from across the country will be used to run the BFS model. With this, BFS is now able to deliver more localised forecasts and nowcasts (forecasts of present weather conditions immediately). The number of Doppler radars will gradually rise to 100, enabling the weather office to issue nowcasts—short-term weather forecasts for the next two hours—nationwide. What makes BFS better than any other forecast system? The modified BFS system came up with a lot of new upgrades in comparison to the previously used forecast systems. However, BFS's speed, accuracy, and much more localised predictions make it the best forecasting system in the world. Speed: Suryachandra Rao, Director of IITM-Pune, stated that earlier weather forecasting models required around 12 to 14 hours to produce predictions for a specific area. However, with advancements in high-performance computing systems under the central government's 'Mission Mausam', forecasts can now be made within four to six hours. Accuracy: The use of high-end computers not only improved its speed but also accuracy. "This significant milestone represents a major leap in India's self-reliance in meteorological sciences, enabling more accurate and granular weather forecasts up to panchayat level for disaster risk reduction, agriculture, water resource management, and public safety," a senior official from the Earth Sciences Ministry said, as quoted by The Economic Times. Furthermore, the system has demonstrated a 30 per cent improvement in accuracy for extreme rainfall events, which are frequent during the monsoon season, compared to existing models. It has also shown significant enhancement in predicting cyclone paths. Localised predictions: Previously operated weather forecasting systems used to forecast weather patterns over a 12 km grid. However, in a much more localised way, now BFS is able to predict weather conditions in a 6 km grid. This means the current model can forecast weather systems down to the village and panchayat level, with an improvement of nearly 64 per cent in prediction accuracy. Weather forecast for all Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the IMD, stated the launch is part of the Centre's initiative to make weather forecasts more accessible and beneficial for everyone. With the successful integration of this new system, India has become the only country to operate a global forecast system with such high resolution in real time. The system was officially handed over to the IMD by Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, on Monday.
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Business Standard
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
Centre unveils Bharat Forecast System with improved 6 km-grid accuracy
The Ministry of Earth Sciences on Monday launched the world's most precise indigenously-developed weather forecasting model that can accurately predict climatic conditions in a 6-kilometre grid, a marked improvement from the existing systems that forecast weather patterns over a 12-kilometre grid. The current model called the 'Bharat Forecast System' can predict weather systems right up to the village and panchayat level, with almost 64 per cent improvement in prediction skills. For extreme rainfall events, which are a common occurrence during monsoon months, the Bharat Forecast System has shown a 30 per cent improvement in accuracy as compared to the existing models. It has also shown marked improvement in prediction of cyclone paths. The model that has been developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune will now be used for making both short-range and long-range forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) over a smaller area as compared to the present systems. Earlier, IMD used models that predicted weather systems and changes accurately over a 23-kilometre grid, which was brought down to 12 kilometres few years back and has now been further narrowed down to 6 kilometres using high-end computer systems and satellite imagery. The new system was handed over to IMD by Minister for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh. Dr Suryachandra Rao, director, IITM-Pune, in his address said that the earlier weather forecasting models used to take around 12-14 hours to make accurate weather predictions over a particular area, but with the advancement in high performance computing systems as part of the central government's 'Mission Mausam', we have now capabilities to predict weather accurately in 4-6 hours. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, IMD, which will use the indigenously- developed model to make its operational weather forecast, said that launch is part of the Centre's efforts to make weather predictions accessible and useful for all. With the successful integration of the new system into the IMD, India has now become the only country operating a global forecast system at such a high resolution for real time.
