AI Will Enhance Early Weather Forecasting System: DG IMD
In the backdrop of climate change, the IMD has planned to strengthen its meteorological observations network and improve its forecast accuracy by 15 per cent and reach every home in the country by 2030: Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
VISAKHAPATNAM: Artificial intelligence application in early weather warning systems would be a game changer for farmers who could be forewarned about the excess rain and drought, both of which can protect the economy, said Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, who was in Visakhapatnam to participate in the science enclave jointly organised by Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, and the Academy of Science, Technology and Communication held in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
Talking on the sidelines of the meeting with this correspondent, the director general said in the backdrop of climate change, the IMD has planned to strengthen its meteorological observations network and improve its forecast accuracy by 15 per cent and reach every home in the country by 2030.He said that the weather agency has gone into collaboration with various academic and R&D institutes in India and abroad, and it has been enhancing the capability to provide the weather forecast by utilising both physical models and the best AI models in the coming days.
He stated that a good number of the automated meteorological observational networks will be installed at district and block levels in the coming years, giving the Met agency localised data with a higher resolution, which will help improve the forecast accuracy. The establishment of Doppler radars would be increased from 40 to 126, automatic rain gauges by 1,000 and weather stations by 500, enhancing real-time data capture.
“Over the years, the forecasting by the IMD has improved between 2019 and 2023. Its cyclone track forecasting accuracy matches or surpasses the systems of the USA and Japan,’’ Mohapatra said.
Earlier, speaking at the conclave on ``India’s Early Warning System in View of the Climate Change'', Mahapatra said the climate change has been causing disasters to the world with varied temperature, erratic rainfall and drops in temperatures.
Calling it the 'anthrosphere' – the environment modified by human beings – he said coal mining, industrialisation and automotives had their impact on the climate.
“Human beings are causing a rise in temperature, not the sun,” Mohapatra commented.
