Panchayat-level weather forecasts by end of 2024: IMD chief Mohapatra

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a vital expansion of its coverage, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) will provide panchayat-level forecasts by the end of 2024 to help the village-level people in the country, said IMD Director General (DG) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra. IMD will take its forecasting capability from the block to panchayat level in the coming months to help farmers and others and cut down climate-induced losses, said IMD chief Mohapatra on Tuesday.He was in Vizag city on Tuesday to take part in the stakeholders' workshop on weather and climate services, organised by IMD.
Referring to the recent floods in Vijayawada of Andhra Pradesh (urban floods), Mohapatra said that in a bid to improve rain forecasting in urban areas, the IMD has launched the urban radar network in some mega cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi in the country. Urban meteorology studies will be conducted in other cities.
The objectives of the urban meteorology study are flood and inundation modelling, heat health warning systems, and a few others, he added. Urban areas are more vulnerable to floods due to increasing concrete structures, population, and lack of proper open space, he added.

Our aim is to connect with the village-level people across the country through mobile apps and provide them with all the weather parameters such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed, in addition to clouds, he added. The IMD’s weather forecast accuracy has increased significantly (40 to 50 per cent) over the past decade, but there are still certain gap barriers. We need the observational network in each block and panchayat level. There should be continued radars by replacing the old radars, and there is a need to establish at least 50 new radars across the country in the next two years, Mohapatra added.
While talking about the reason behind the recent extreme weather events in parts of the country, the IMD chief said climate change and global warming have led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of such incidents.
The role of IMD is becoming increasingly crucial, and IMD has had to adapt not only to maintain its accuracy in forecasting but also to be accessible and useful for the public. Each and every sector will provide the input forecast by improving the forecasting system. We have taken the slogan "Har Har Mausam, Har Ghar Mausam", and soon every person will monitor weather info. Any individual in any corner of the country can access the information through mobile apps, he added.