Focus on climate change, extreme weather at IMD's 150th year celebrations

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was chief guest at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) 150th-year celebrations in New Delhi. (Photo by Nilutpal Thakur)

Extreme weather, climate change, forecasting technologies, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for weather forecasting, and meteorological services for socio-economic development were some of the topics of discussion at India Meteorological Department’s (IMD's) 150th year celebrations in New Delhi on Monday, January 15.

Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, in his keynote as the chief guest, emphasized the changing and growing role of the meteorological department and the Union ministry of earth sciences because of the changing climate patterns and extreme weather events.

“As we move forward, strengthening our capabilities, it is imperative for IMD to enhance its observational and forecasting systems, collaborate with international partners and contribute to global efforts in understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change,” Dhankhar said.

Also read: 150 years of IMD: A timeline

The department, he suggested, should harness disruptive technology such as AI, ML, big data, and quantum computing to better predict extreme weather events and enhance lives.

Dhankhar added that IMD's impact extends beyond our borders. “Our neighbours also rely on IMD's expertise as evidenced during cyclone Mocha.”

India's technological progress is an important mechanism of soft diplomacy because relationships are defined by what a country has to gain from another in economy and technology, he said. “By extending India's weather and climate services to our neighbours and other countries, we not only strengthen regional resilience but reinforce India's commitment to being a responsible global player.”

Also read: Demand for AI specialists is predicted to rise by 40 percent over 5 years: IBM's Sriram Raghavan

What you need to know about IMD's Mausam app

Dhankhar launched IMD's integrated GIS-based interactive mobile app Mausam for all weather-related services on the occasion. The app supports 12 Indian languages, and will offer services such as current weather, forecast of every hour to seven days, information on rainfall, humidity, sunrise-sunset, moonrise-moonset, rain, lightning and cyclone alerts, and aviation and agro-met advisories.

The mausamgram feature in the Mausam app allows the public to view observations, forecasts, and warnings for their location through a map or search function using place names, pin codes, or coordinates.

The vice-president also released IMD's National Framework of Climate Services (NFC), the web-based Panchayat Mausam Seva for villages, and the in-house web-GIS-based integrated Decision Support System (DSS) known as the Weather Analysis and Forecast Enabling System (WAFES).

The WAFES serves as a visualization platform to analyse meteorological observations and prediction models, aiding decision-making for severe weather phenomena and their socio-economic impact.

Need for R&D

Dhankhar called upon the private sector to handhold institutions such as IMD to promote R&D in disruptive technologies and their use in disaster risk reduction and management. “If you look at the developed world, research is initiated and funded by corporates.”

The vice-president said the IMD's role goes beyond weather forecasts. The organisation, he said, provides a safety net, protecting national interests, shielding citizens from nature and helping farmers.

“I am a farmer's son, so I can say that IMD's role is not limited to just disseminating weather-related information. From farmers to soldiers at the border and trade ships on the high seas, IMD has a role to play in everyone's lives.”

In a lighter vein, Dhankhar said, he looks to a day when IMD can predict the weather in the two Houses of Parliament for the presiding officers. “I am pretty sure you will find a way."

Dhankhar said there was a time when IMD's rain forecasts would be wrong due to lack of scientific know-how. But now, it issues precise forecasts. At the same time, he cautioned, “Though we have come a long way, we have a long way to go."

Climate change and resilience

Touching upon the climate change topic, Kiren Rijiju, Union minister of earth sciences, IMD's parent organization, said climate change is a matter of concern for the whole world as it is visible in the form of melting of ice and glaciers in the polar region as well as in the Himalayas.

“There is a rise in sea levels, an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, extinction of species and shifting of species towards the poles. It is impacting not only the natural ecosystem but also socio-economic and political life,” Rijiju said.

“We have to become resilient to the adverse impact of climate change and hazards. Societies are becoming more capable of mitigating the adverse consequences of weather and climate phenomena, provided the relevant and timely information is made available.”

Climate services, Rijiju said, are very important for short and long-term planning and strategic development and IMD has already initiated these services in five major thrust areas of agriculture, health, water, energy and disaster risk reduction.

IMD, he said, has been able to mould itself as a world-class national meteorological service that uses the latest technological tools for monitoring, prediction and warning of extreme weather and climate events, thereby helping the nation to build resilience.

Monsoon Mission project

The minister referred to the Monsoon Mission project in which various organisations within and outside the ministry are collaborating to improve dynamic models developed during Phase 1 of this project for generating forecasts at various times and scales.

The models range from nowcasts to short and medium-range forecasts up to 7 days, to extended-range forecasts for up to four weeks and long-range forecasts for months and seasons for specific locations, blocks, districts, subdivisions, states, broad geographical regions, etc. “This is a paradigm shift from the conventional statistical to dynamical monsoon forecast,” Rijiju said.

IMD has established 10 Doppler radars in the western Himalayan region and plans to establish 11 radars in the eastern Himalayan region and northeastern states, taking the total number of radars in the country to 86 in the next five years.

“We all know that everything depends on the observation. The more we can observe, the more our modelling capacity will increase and then forecasting will become more accurate,” the minister said.

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of meteorology, IMD, in his welcome address, outlined the evolution of meteorological services in the country since 1875, when the meteorological department was first formed in Calcutta under the department of revenue, agriculture and commerce.

Throughout the day, former IMD officials, experts and scientists debated and discussed the challenges and future of weather forecasts, disaster management, the use of future technologies for climate and weather services, met services for socio-economic development, etc.