IMD Launches AI Weather Forecasting Products

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched two Artificial Intelligence-based weather forecasting products for monsoon regions that depend on rain-fed agriculture. One product was developed by the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) for Uttar Pradesh, and the other was developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune for district-level rainfall forecasting.

AI-based rainfall forecasting

The Uttar Pradesh product provides rainfall forecasts at a spatial resolution of 1 km. It uses data from Automatic Rain Gauges, Automatic Weather Stations, satellites, and Doppler weather radars. The system can provide downscaled rainfall forecasts with a lead time of up to 10 days.

District-level monsoon tracking

The IITM product tracks monsoon progression at the district level and provides updates every Wednesday. The system covers 3,196 blocks and sub-districts across 16 states and one Union Territory in this phase. These areas were selected because they are rain-fed regions with high dependence on rainfall.

Institutional framework and use cases

The Ministry of Earth Sciences oversees the IMD and the NCMRWF. The new forecasting products are intended for agriculture, water resource management, and disaster management. Farmers use rainfall forecasts for sowing, irrigation, crop protection, and harvest planning.

Important Facts for Exams

• The India Meteorological Department was established in 1875.
• The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Automatic Weather Stations and Automatic Rain Gauges are used for ground-based weather observation.
• Doppler weather radars are used to monitor precipitation and storm systems.

Forecast coverage

India has more than 750 districts. The current phase of the micro-level rainfall tracking system covers selected rain-fed areas in 16 states and one Union Territory.