Union Minister Jitendra Singh Announces Major Upgrade to Delhi’s Weather Forecast System

New Delhi [India], July 8: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced a significant upgrade to Delhi’s weather forecast system during a high-level meeting. The initiative aims to install 50 new Automatic Weather Forecast Centers, with a future goal of 100, to provide precise and timely weather forecasts.

Currently, Delhi has 17 such centers. The upgrade is part of a broader plan to enhance weather prediction across India, including the installation of radars and advanced computing systems. Dr. Singh emphasized that these improvements will make the forecast system more people-friendly, ensuring convenience and safety for citizens while mitigating economic impacts of unexpected weather changes.

Dr. Singh also highlighted the installation of 3 radars and 180 automatic weather forecasting systems in Delhi NCR, with similar upgrades planned for other major cities like Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to use advanced weather prediction models and a high-performance computing system with a capacity of 20 petaflops.

The minister praised the IMD’s efforts in sharing data with district authorities, armed forces, and disaster management authorities, which play a crucial role in disaster risk reduction. He also mentioned the benefits of new space and geospatial policies and the recently launched Geoportals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to empower farmers, fishermen, and the common man through these advanced weather forecasting systems, Dr. Singh noted. Dr. Mrityunjay Mohapatra, DG IMD, and other senior officials were also present at the meeting.