Amid the cold snap in several northern areas such as Delhi, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, the center has made a significant announcement that could improve forecasts from India’s meteorological authority.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced on Sunday that all of India will soon be covered by the Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs), which the Health Weather Agency IMD will use to more accurately forecast extreme and dangerous weather conditions.
Union Minister for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh and IMD Chief M Mohapatra made the landmark announcement during celebrations marking the 148th anniversary of the Met Department. The new technology is committed to predicting conditions like storms and extreme rainfall, potentially saving lives.
While the accuracy of IMD’s weather forecasts has increased by around 40 percent over the past eight to nine years, the new DWRs are set to take this to a new level, according to the minister, and significantly transform weather forecasting in India.
What is a Doppler weather radar? know how it works
Doppler weather radar (DWR), also known as weather monitoring radar, is a technology developed to provide highly accurate weather forecasts. The technology uses a type of radar that detects precipitation and calculates its intensity.
Doppler weather radar is useful for detecting precipitation, calculating its movement, and estimating its type. The DWR can determine whether the precipitation is rain, snowfall or hail. Measuring precipitation can also help weather officials determine the intensity of cold and heat waves in parts of the country.
The radar uses microwave radiation to detect the size and intensity of precipitation particles, which can also make near-accurate forecasts of possible snow and hailstorms in parts of the country, helping authorities take the necessary precautions.
DWR can be an essential tool to predict and prevent disasters in many states which are hit by heavy rains and floods every year which have claimed thousands of lives in India in recent years.
As of 2023, there are a total of 37 Doppler weather radars in the country, and the facility is expected to cover the whole of India by 2025, according to the Centre. Doppler weather radars are reported to typically have a range of around 5000km.
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