Weather Forecast: AP to Have 3 More Doppler Radars
New radars in Ongole, Amaravati and Kakinada to boost cyclone and storm predictions.
Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh will soon have three more Doppler Weather Radars that would improvise the state’s weather forecasting system.
The Doppler system can forecast cyclones seven days in advance and thunderstorms five days ahead, covering ranges of 500km and 200km.
The state has one each radars in Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam and Sriharikota. The new radars would be installed in Ongole, Amaravati and Kakinada. The Machilipatnam radar, the main forecasting system for the entire AP, has been non-functional for the last few years.
“Bidding has been completed for three new radars and the non-functional radar at Machilipatnam. We are asking the State government to allot land for installation of the system which would cost Rs 20 crore for each,’’ stated the director of IMD Amaravati, Stella S.
Stella said the locations were identified and the work would be completed by the end of this year.
“This is part of expansion under Mission Mausam, which is aimed at improving weather forecasting accuracy and enhancing the country's overall radar coverage. The new radars will be strategically placed to address gaps in the existing network,” she told Deccan Chronicle.
IMD plans to significantly increase its Doppler Weather Radar network nationwide from 37 operational radars to 73 by 2025-26 and to 126 by 2026.
Mission Mausam, an initiative launched in September 2024, aimed to augment the DWR network across the country, ensuring comprehensive radar coverage and improved forecasting accuracy.
The S-Band Doppler Weather Radar being installed in Ongole and Amaravati would provide images derived from volume scan depicting location and intensities of clouds, expected rainfall from these clouds, horizontal winds and wind shear. The images are a very good tool for weather analysis and forecasting. They are automatically updated to the IMD website at 10-minute intervals.
Kakinada will have C-Band Doppler Weather Radar.
IMD sources said the Automatic Weather Stations would be increased in the state from the current 62 to 80. One is coming up in the ASR district, which records the state’s lowest temperatures.
Radar and other gadgets save people from natural calamities by giving early warning, and this helps immensely in agricultural operations.
