Latest news with #WiFEX-II
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
IITM's WiFEX-II to expand fog prediction to North and Northeast India
PUNE: After a decade of successful operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) on Tuesday launched the second phase of the Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX-II). The expanded project will offer localized, runway-specific fog forecasts to several more airports in North and Northeast India, including the upcoming Noida International Airport at Jewar, Hisar Airport in Haryana, and Guwahati Airport in Assam. IITM's WiFEX-II to expand fog prediction to North and Northeast India The WiFEX initiative was launched in the winter of 2015 by IITM under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), in collaboration with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF). It is among the world's few long-term field experiments focused exclusively on fog—an often unpredictable hazard that frequently disrupts air, rail, and road traffic across the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Over the past ten years, WiFEX scientists have used advanced instruments such as micrometeorology towers, ceilometers, and high-frequency sensors to gather granular data on temperature gradients, humidity, wind speed, turbulence, soil heat, and aerosols. This extensive dataset has enabled the development of a high-resolution (3 km) probabilistic fog forecast model, capable of predicting fog onset, intensity, duration, and dissipation with over 85% accuracy for very dense fog (visibility below 200 meters). 'This has not only improved flight safety but also significantly reduced diversions and delays, saving time and money while minimizing inconvenience to passengers,' said M Ravichandran, Secretary, MoES, who launched WiFEX-II in Pune on Tuesday. Beyond forecasting, WiFEX has also deepened scientific understanding of fog formation, revealing the influence of urban heat islands, land-use changes, pollution levels, and airborne particles on fog density and persistence. 'The findings are already informing air quality policies and improving early warning systems,' said Dr. Sachin Ghude, senior scientist at IITM and project lead for WiFEX. Under WiFEX-II, dedicated sensors will be installed at additional airport sites. These sensors will feed real-time data into forecasting systems, enabling airport authorities to make timely operational decisions during fog episodes. The WiFEX-II launch event was attended by IITM Director Dr. Suryachandra Rao, Dr. Ghude, and other senior scientists. On the same occasion, a new State-of-the-Art Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory was also inaugurated at IITM by Dr. Ravichandran. BOX: Coming Soon: Pune and Mumbai to Get Decision Support System for air quality The Decision Support System (DSS), developed by IITM as an advanced layer of its Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS), is soon set to be launched in Mumbai and Pune. Currently operational only in Delhi, DSS provides 120-hour air quality forecasts at a 10 km resolution and helps policymakers identify the precise sources of pollution during critical air-quality episodes. 'We are in discussions with the Pune Municipal Corporation and are in the final stage of approvals. We expect Pune to get the system within a year,' said Dr. Sachin Ghude. The system will empower civic authorities with actionable insights, enabling more effective and targeted air pollution control measures.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
IITM set to launch WiFEX-II to improve winter fog forecasts for airports in north India
Pune: The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) is set to launch WiFEX-II, building on its decade-long Winter Fog Experiment to deliver precise, runway-specific fog forecasts to more airports in north India. This will enable airport operators to activate response protocols, ensuring safe operations during low-visibility conditions along major aviation corridors. Under the expanded programme, dedicated sensors would be installed at new airport locations, providing real-time data to support operational decision-making during the winter fog season, which often disrupts aviation in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Building on the success of WiFEX, launched in 2015 at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, the programme has developed a high-resolution fog prediction model with over 85% accuracy for dense fog conditions (visibility under 200 metres). IITM scientists said the system could forecast fog onset, density, duration and clearance patterns. The original experiment has expanded from the Delhi airport to include airports in Jewar (Noida) and Hisar (Haryana), creating an observational network that monitored temperature, humidity, wind patterns, turbulence and aerosol data through advanced meteorological equipment, including ceilometers and micrometeorology towers, they said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 30 Beautiful women who lived 80-100 years ago Undo You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Ceilometers are instruments used to measure cloud base height or vertical visibility in weather and aviation applications, while micrometeorology towers are structures equipped with instruments to measure and monitor various atmospheric conditions near the surface. The IITM scientists said research, conducted in collaboration with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), generated insights into how air pollution, urban heat effects and land-use changes influenced fog formation and persistence. "WiFEX data has enabled more accurate forecasting that helps reduce flight diversions, delays and operational disruptions during north India's winter months when dense fog severely impacts aviation, rail and road transport," an IITM scientist said. The ministry of earth sciences announced the WiFEX milestone during an event at IITM's Aryabhatta Hall, which included the launch of a website, screening of a documentary marking 10 years of WiFEX and a press briefing by Dr M Ravichandran, secretary MoES, and IITM director Dr A Suryachandra Rao. The programme also featured visits to the state-of-the-art atmospheric chemistry laboratory and Safar WiFEX control room for briefings on air quality monitoring activities.
Mint
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Mint
After IGIA, more airports in North India will have real time fog data, to ensure safe and
After Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi, more airports in North India will have access to data for fog forecasting and visibility to support safe and efficient airport operations during the winter. By installing dedicated sensors at additional sites, airport operators will gain real-time data to help them activate response plans and ensure operations remain safe and efficient—even in the thickest fog. For airlines, pilots, air traffic controllers and passengers, this means fewer costly diversions, fewer delays, safer runways and more informed travel during the challenging winter fog season. Every year hundreds of flights and trains are either cancelled or delayed due to thick fog in North India in the winter months especially from mid-December to mid-February. In January 2024, around 8,038 flights were delayed and 496 were cancelled due to fog, according to a written reply in Lok Sabha. "The Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX) is stepping into its next phase — WiFEX-II— which will extend localized, runway-specific fog predictions to more airports in North India," the government said in a press statement. The system has already been successful at IGIA, India's busiest and most fog-affected airport. It is a robust observational network now reaching Jewar Airport, Noida, and Hisar, Haryana, covering key aviation corridors across North India, according to the government statement. Over the past decade, WiFEX scientists have deployed advanced instruments, micrometeorology towers, ceilometers, and high-frequency sensors to collect detailed data on temperature layers, humidity, wind, turbulence, soil heat, and aerosols—building a dataset that reveals how dense fog forms and disperses. These insights have powered the development of a high-resolution probabilistic fog prediction model, which now stands among the region's most advanced tools for operational forecasting. The model can reliably predict when fog will begin, how dense it will be, how long it will last, and when it will clear—achieving more than 85% accuracy for very dense fog (visibility below 200 meters). WiFEX's contribution goes far beyond forecasts. The effort has pushed the frontiers of fog science, revealing how air pollution, urban heat islands, land-use changes, and tiny airborne particles influence fog thickness and duration. These findings are now improving early warning systems and helping policymakers design better urban and air quality management plans. Launched in the winter of 2015 at IGIA, New Delhi, WiFEX is one of the world's few long-term open-field experiments focused solely on fog. It was led by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), with support from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF).
