How IMD's new model will sharpen weather forecast for farmers

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is enhancing its forecasting capabilities by developing a high-resolution model that will increase its current 12-km grid spacing to 6 km by 2026. This move aims to improve weather predictions at the panchayat level, offering farmers more precise forecasts.

“Currently, we are providing panchayat-level forecasting, but that is based on the model run at the block level, so we will have to increase the panchayat-level model resolution," said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general (meteorology), IMD, told Mint. With the installation of radars, automated stations, wind profilers, and other instruments, IMD will expand coverage, improving forecast accuracy. Presently, forecasts are generated for every 12 km.

With the new model, predictions will be produced every 6 km, enhancing the detection of localized weather patterns. The grid point forecast model uses a network of points spread across the country, with the distance between these points defining the resolution. In addition to refining resolution, the IMD is expanding its doppler weather radar network and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to further improve accuracy.

“Currently, we have 40 doppler weather radars across the country and we are planning to have 126 by 2026. At present, 85% of the area is covered and once the full deployment is in place, we will have 100% of the area covered," said Mohapatra. This not only enhances the ability to track extreme weather events but also ensures redundancy—if one radar goes down, another can fill the gap, he added.