NEW DELHI, Jan 11: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is seeking to enhance its forecast precision by tapping into data from CubeSats, crowdsourced inputs, and Internet of Things devices, alongside traditional weather satellites, according to a former official.
Recently, the IMD successfully deployed a dedicated meteorological satellite into orbit and implemented a new high power computing system (HPCS), which will enable more accurate weather predictions.
“IMD is on the verge of adopting an ensemble prediction system with a horizontal resolution of 6 km, which marks an improvement from the existing resolution of 12 km,” remarked Madhavan Rajeevan, former secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, in a piece written to commemorate the 150th Foundation Day of the IMD.
“Enhancing observation networks with cutting-edge technologies like crowdsourcing, CubeSats, IoT devices, and unmanned platforms will greatly elevate both data quality and forecasting efficiency,” he noted.
Rajeevan added that the IMD is also establishing dedicated research testbeds in Bhopal and Mumbai to further explore the dynamics of monsoon and cloud physics.
“With user expectations on the rise, the IMD needs to innovate continuously and proactively meet these demands,” he emphasized.
The IMD receives weather data from more than 6,000 surface observation sites, in addition to information gathered from weather balloons, satellites, and a network of radars that contribute to predictive models.
“By adopting state-of-the-art technologies and persistently refining its forecasting systems, the IMD can uphold its reputation as a global leader in weather and climate services, aiding India in addressing the challenges posed by climate change,” Rajeevan stated.
Additionally, leading meteorologist U C Mohanty highlighted that under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, considerable scientific and technological progress has been made across various fields of Earth system sciences, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, and their complex interrelations.
Improvements in computational capacity have enabled the use of sophisticated deterministic chemical transport models, which yield more accurate air quality forecasts, replacing the earlier empirical and statistical methods that had limitations in capturing the physical and chemical behaviors of pollutants.
Researchers at the IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune have collaboratively developed the advanced Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS), as noted by Rajesh Verma, Chairman of the Commission for Air Quality Management.
In the electricity sector, timely weather forecasts facilitate the effective management of power grids.
“Power trading occurs every 15 minutes. Therefore, 15-minute and hourly forecasts of essential weather parameters for the upcoming hours are crucial for optimizing power generation and distribution,” commented an official from the power ministry. (PTI)
