IMD Celebrates 150 Years and Improves Weather Forecasting Accuracy
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Source: The post IMD Celebrates 150 Years and Improves Weather Forecasting Accuracy has been created, based on the article “150 years of IMD: What the weather agency has planned for the future” published in “Indian Express” on 17th January 2025

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3- Disaster and disaster management.

Context: The article discusses the India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrating its 150th anniversary on January 15. It highlights the improvements in weather forecasting accuracy and the IMD’s Vision Document 2047, which outlines plans to enhance forecasting and weather management by India’s centenary year of independence.

For detailed information on 150 years of IMD read this article here

What Improvements Have Been Made in Weather Forecasting?

  1. Heatwave Prediction: Forecasting heatwaves has improved to 95% accuracy up to two days in advance, compared to 50% in 2014.
  2. Thunderstorms: The accuracy for detecting thunderstorms on an hourly basis is now 86%, up from 50% in 2017.
  3. Heavy Rainfall: Predictions for heavy rainfall up to three days in advance have improved to 78%, from 50% a decade ago.
  4. Cyclone Tracking: The accuracy of cyclone track predictions has improved by 35-40% over the past ten years, effectively reducing the loss of human lives to zero in many cases.

For detailed information on Weather Forecasting in India read this article here

What Does IMD’s Vision Document 2047 Entail?

  1. The Vision Document 2047 aims to make India climate smart and weather ready by 2047.
  2. IMD plans for zero-error forecasting of severe weather up to three days in advance at the block level.
  3. For forecasts up to five days, IMD targets 90% accuracy, and for seven-day forecasts, it aims for 80% accuracy.
  4. The accuracy for 10-day forecasts will be 70%.
  5. IMD will improve weather model resolution from 12 km to 5-6 km, enabling hyper-localized weather information at the village level.
  6. By 2047, IMD aims to eliminate the loss of human lives due to severe weather events through better monitoring and timely warnings.

What Future Plans Does the IMD Have for Weather Management?

  1. Mission Mausam aims to manage weather phenomena like rain, hail, and fog.
  2. A cloud chamber will be established at IITM Pune to improve cloud seeding techniques.
  3. IMD plans to use unmanned aerial vehicles and IoT-based sensors for remote data collection.
  4. Weather models will be enhanced with better monitoring through satellites, radars, and wind profilers.
  5. 100% detection capabilities for all weather phenomena are targeted.
  6. The resolution of weather models will improve from 12 km to 5-6 km, providing hyper-localized weather forecasts at the village level.

Question for practice:

Evaluate the improvements made by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in weather forecasting accuracy and the future plans outlined in its Vision Document 2047.


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