Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata are set to receive urban radar networks for enhanced weather forecasting, following the model of a similar system launched in Mumbai last month, officials announced on Wednesday (October 2). The Ministry of Earth Sciences had introduced four X-band weather radars in Mumbai, bringing the total to six, which now cover around 50,000 sq km.
M. Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, stated that the same coverage will be expanded to the other three metros—Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata—within the next year. “We plan to extend similar coverage in the other three metros – Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata within the next one year,” M Ravichandran said.
50 doppler weather radars to be installed under Mission Mausam
This is part of “Mission Mausam,” under which the government aims to install 50 doppler weather radars nationwide to improve weather forecasting services.
The urban radar network will deliver real-time data every five minutes, detecting clouds responsible for extreme rainfall and thunderstorms. Data from these radars will be integrated to provide a real-time overview of weather systems around the cities.
With the new radars, Mumbai has become the most monitored city in India for tracking evolving weather systems. Currently, it already has two doppler weather radars.
Mission Mausam, approved last month with a budget of Rs 2,000 crore, seeks to make India “weather-ready and climate-smart” by deploying advanced weather surveillance technologies.
It includes plans for 50 doppler weather radars, 60 radiosonde stations, 100 disdrometers, 10 wind profilers, and other weather monitoring infrastructure across the country.