The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has drawn up plans to bolster its weather monitoring infrastructure in the eastern and northeastern regions of India with an aim to improve the early warning systems for natural disasters.
The decision comes amid rising instances of heavy rainfall, flash floods, and localised cyclonic storms in the region.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director general of meteorology (DGM) of the IMD, said here on Monday.
Mohapatra, who visited the Jalpaiguri regional office of IMD, said two high-powered weather forecast radars will soon be installed in Malda and Jalpaiguri districts.
The radars, he said, were capable of covering areas from 150km to 300km from
their location.
“Similar radars will be operational in Diamond Harbour, as well as in Sikkim and Guwahati. The radars are designed to provide advanced warning of intense downpours, tornadoes, and other severe weather events, giving authorities and residents more time to prepare,” said the DGM.
The IMD plans to install a total of 53 high-powered radars across India in the coming months, he said.
“In recent years, the Himalayan foothills of north Bengal, including Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the adjoining plains, have witnessed a noticeable increase in extreme weather. Heavy rainfall in Sikkim is affecting the downstream of rivers, and events like cloudbursts and tornado-like phenomena have been observed in the plains as well. The new radars will significantly improve our ability to issue early warnings,” Mohapatra added.
Sources said the visit to Jalpaiguri was prompted by a history of weather-related tragedies in the region.
In April last year, a tornado had struck the Mainaguri area of Jalpaiguri district. Earlier, in October 2023, a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) of the South Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim had ravaged different parts of the mountain state and also some districts of north Bengal.
“These natural disasters had caused multiple fatalities and extensive property and crop damage,” said a source.
The DGM said timely alerts could save lives and property.
He said lightning forecast instruments, locally known as ‘NowCast’, would be installed in north Bengal.
“Alongside these radars, the IMD is also planning to install lightning forecast instruments, locally known as ‘NowCast’, in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, North and South Dinajpur, Malda and Cooch Behar. The devices will provide advance warnings of lightning strikes, addressing a growing concern as incidents of electrical storms rise,”
he said.
In north Bengal as well as in the rest of the state, lightning deaths are often reported, especially in the rural areas.
Mohapatra expressed concern over long-term changes in weather patterns across north and Northeast India, including Sikkim.
“Even in hilly areas, daytime temperatures have risen above normal, and nighttime cooling does not occur as expected. Rainfall has become erratic, while sudden, intense storms are becoming more frequent. Urbanisation and environmental changes have contributed to these shifts,” Mohapatra, who inspected the regional flood meteorology station in Jalpaiguri as well, said.
Mohapatra was accompanied by Somnath Dutta, the director of the IMD office in Calcutta, and Gopinath Raha, head of the regional Met office in Sikkim.