India Meteorological Department

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) was established by the British in 1875 at Shimla, and its head office is located in New Delhi. IMD has regional offices in major cities like Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Nagpur, and New Delhi to cover weather monitoring across the country.

1. Daily weather maps are prepared and published twice every 24 hours to provide updates and predictions about weather conditions.

2. The IMD conducts continuous research on:

• Instruments for climatic readings
• Radar-based climate predictions
• Seismology-related climate forecasts
• Rainfall predictions using satellites
• Air pollution monitoring.

3. The IMD provides crucial weather and climate-related information to various sectors like aviation, shipping, agriculture, irrigation, marine oil exploration, and production.

4. Predictions about natural calamities, such as dust storms, sand storms, heavy rainfall, hot and cold waves, and tsunamis, are communicated to various departments, mass media, and citizens.

5. To enhance its forecasting capabilities, India has launched advanced satellites equipped with high-class technology to monitor weather and climate.

6. Observatories at multiple locations analyse data received from satellites, improving the accuracy of weather predictions and climate research.

The tradition of predicting the monsoon season in India dates back over 100 years. After the famine of 1877, H. F. Blanford, the founder of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), made the first monsoon prediction using Himalayan snowfall as a parameter. In the 1930s, Sir Gilbert Walker, then director of IMD, highlighted the connection between global climatic factors and the Indian monsoon. Based on observations and previous data, Sir Gilbert Walker formulated a hypothesis regarding the nature of the monsoon. In the 1990s, under the leadership of Dr. Vasantrao Govarikar, a monsoon prediction model was developed. This model was based on 16 worldwide climatic parameters, which influenced monsoon patterns in India.

• The model combined global atmospheric and climatic observations to improve the accuracy of monsoon forecasts. This monsoon model was actively used for predictions from 1990 to 2002.
• It marked a significant advancement in monsoon forecasting by integrating multiple climatic factors.
• The development of such models has helped India better prepare for monsoon seasons, crucial for agriculture, water management, and disaster planning.