Four Doppler radars installed by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) earlier this year for ensuring precise weather forecast in Jammu and Kashmir are being made operational by 2021.
As per IMDofficials, the Doppler radars installed in January 2019 were scheduled to bemade operational till end of this year, however the radars will now be testedand commissioned in one year from now.
“Although there hasbeen a procedural delay on our part but the radars will be there by 2021,”Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General IMD told Greater Kashmir on phone fromNew Delhi.
He informed thatwith the Doppler radars, it will soon be possible for the forecasters to offer”larger lead time”, which presently ranged between 4 to 6 hours ahead of an extremeweather event.
“The radars willalso monitor Himalayan region for flash floods, cloud bursts as they scan thesky precisely over a very specific area,” he said.
“Services of themobile weather forecast was used on a pilot basis this year during the AmarnathYatra. The devotees and local administration organising the annual yatra gotmore frequent and accurate weather updates and severe weather alerts with helpof the mobile forecast,” Mohapatra said.
As per IMDofficials, out of the 10 sanctioned Doppler radars for the Himalayan region,while four will come up in Jammu and Kashmir; Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhandwill get three each.
“These radars onceoperational will track and help forecasters issue weather alerts during severeweather events like floods, lightning, thunderstorm which have adverse impacton life and property,” said an official. IMD has also ambitious plans inimproving its “nowcasting” (forecast issued every four to six hours) asscientists are working towards developing weather models having a range of 1 kmor even less, said the officials.
“On operationalbasis, IMD maintains a frequency of six-hourly data assimilation. However, thedemand is now for greater lead time. Now with more radars coming up, we wouldbe able to generate and disseminate weather warnings more effectively,”the officials said.