E-Paper
IMD’s ‘vulnerability atlas’ to map districts prone to extreme weather in Maha
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday announced the development of a “vulnerability atlas”, to highlight areas prone to natural disasters and issue warnings for the same in a detailed manner
PUNE The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday announced the development of a “vulnerability atlas”, to highlight areas prone to natural disasters and issue warnings for the same in a detailed manner.
Pulak Guhathakurta, head, Climate Research Division, IMD Pune, said that the vulnerability atlas will cover 13 major disasters.
“It is a district-level vulnerability initiative for extreme conditions like heat-wave, cold-wave, and thunderstorms. The atlas will inform national disaster management teams and risk assessment will be based on information collected for years, which will help authorities to assess extreme climate conditions,” said Guhathakurta.
DS Pai, scientist and head of climate research and services at IMD Pune, said that the vulnerability atlas will focus on an impact-based forecast for each district.
“With 13 weather hazards in the entire country, districts which are more vulnerable will be identified and an impact-based forecast will be issued. Climate information will be used to inform and alert citizens,” said Pai.
K S Hosalikar, head of surface instrument division (SID) at the Climate Research and Services, added that along with the already functional radar in Mumbai work on another radar in Goregaon is 90 per cent complete.
“In June, the Mumbai radar was defunct which affected the forecasts. However, IMD is now increasing the radar coverage thus improving the forecast,” said Hoslikar.
“Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta, and Ahmedabad will soon have apps dedicated to the weather forecasting. IMD cannot develop such apps singlehandedly. We are trying to deliver such apps for mega cities in the country,” said Hoslikar.
As per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), India has witnessed a temperature increase of 0.7 degree Celsius in the last decade.
“With the increase in average day temperature, it means that there is more capacity in the air to hold water, which has increased extreme rainfall events. There is a chance of an increase in extreme rainfall events,” said Hoslikar.
“Many studies are indicating extreme events are increasing. Total seasonal rainfall will increase and extreme rainfall will also increase,” said Pai.
Monsoon, this season
Pai further added that this year the southwest monsoon trough did not move much.
“The Arabian Sea side was close to normal, but the Bay of Bengal side was not good. Not many weather systems helped the monsoon this season resulting in low rainfall,” said Pai.
