IMD to provide panchayat level forecasts
India Meteorological Department (IMD) will provide panchayat level weather forecasts in the next few years to ensure better coverage and accuracy.
The department’s plan to improve its forecast eciency was discussed at a stakeholders meeting at the National Institute of Technology on Thursday to commemorate 150 years of IMD and 80 years of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai.
M. Ravichandran, secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said that at present IMD gives district level forecasts, and it is looking to expand its coverage to the panchayat level with enhanced observational network and high-resolution computational model.
At present, the weather models now have a resolution of 12 km. This would be upgraded to 6 km to improve forecast accurate location of a weather event, he said. Besides strengthening the network of automatic weather stations and rain gauges, more radars would be set up to enhance forecast precision and reduce errors.
On the sweltering heat in the State, he said with the rising temperature, moisture or the water holding capacity has also increased leading to hot, humid weather conditions.
M.Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, said the department has collaborated with the State government to establish two or three radars covering south Tamil Nadu. Besides those in the State, radars in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi also cover parts of Tamil Nadu. A decision support system is also being developed with meteorological data. IMD is planning to set up a radar in Bengaluru this year. The forecast accuracy has improved by 40% in the past decade.
With improved surface and upper air observational network, the accuracy would be more precise. The department also joined hands with institutions to use observational data of their network, he said.
S.Balachandran, Additional Director General of Meteorology, RMC, Chennai said a technical test is in progress to install X band radars in places like
Ramanathapuram and Salem. Moreover, there is proposal to upgrade ageing doppler weather radars in Chennai and Sriharikota. The upper air observational network comprising radiosonde and pilot balloon observatory would also undergo an upgrade. The radiosonde launches would be carried out 10 times a day instead of the existing twice a day observation, he said.
A souvenir on 80 years of the RMC and a coee table book on its activities were released. Retired senior IMD ocials were honoured on the occasion. S.K.Prabakar, Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management and J.Radhakrishnan, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner, also spoke.