Kerala: Mobile app to forecast thunderstorms and lightning to be developed soon

Thiruvananthapuram: Union ministry of earth sciences ministry will develop a mobile app with the help of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and National Centre for Earth Science Studies to nowcast thunderstorms and lightning in Kerala.

Inaugurating Kerala's first cyclone warning system at the Meteorological Centre here, MoES secretary Dr M. Rajeevan said eight lightning detectors have already been set up in various locations in the state, and each of them has a range of about 200 km.

He said that before the next pre-monsoon season the cyclone warning centre would be operational. A new radar is being set up in Mangalore apart from the two here and in Kochi. “If the thunderstorm activity moves with this network, it would be able to locate how it is moving and warn the people one hour in advance. Radars and satellites will also be used for this. The network is already done, and the data is being tested,” he said.

He said that the Central Water Commission had come up with a proposal that they will establish a flood warning system for Kerala and IMD will provide all necessary inputs for this also. He promised to look into the demand of the state government for improving the IMD’s observation system in Kerala positively. He said the number of observatories has to be increased and action will be taken to improve the surface observational network.

The IMD will come up with mobile apps like the one developed for Mumbai city to understand at a given time where the rainfall will be happening and with what intensity.