A laboratory that is the first step towards more accurate and timely storm forecasts was launched at the Met office in Alipore on Thursday.
Eastern India faces weather threats from severe local storms and Nor’westers that often strike with little warning, bringing ferocious winds, heavy rain and lightning that take a toll on lives and livelihoods, damage crops and urban infrastructure across the region. Timely prediction can save lives and mitigate damage.
“The proposed laboratory aims to improve the accuracy of severe storm forecasts using machine learning, artificial intelligence and numerical weather prediction (NWP), which involves mathematical models and computer simulations,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of Meteorology, IMD, who was present at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore for the launch.
Now, the Met office provides nowcasts (a forecast that is expected almost immediately) in case of thunderstorms. The alerts usually come just or shortly before a storm strikes.
“We aim to be able to give actionable forecasts well in advance, to make them more useful. Precautionary measures can then be taken in advance. But it will not happen overnight. It is a process. The launch of the lab is the first step,” said H.R. Biswas, head of the weather section at the Met office in Alipore.
“We are already using mathematical models and machine learning for forecasting. But we have upgraded the infrastructure for research. That is why the lab has been set up,” he added.
The lab is equipped with five state-of-the-art computers, along with a provision for an additional 18. It will be equipped to run advanced weather models and process vast amounts of atmospheric data, and support real-time analysis for more accurate forecasting.
“The lab would not only empower students and young researchers with the tools and experience to understand and work in the field of meteorology, but also contribute to the development of meteorological expertise in eastern India, where extreme weather events such as severe local thunderstorms, cyclones, and heavy rainfall are common,” the IMD said.