Met department to prepare state-wise monsoon forecast from 2017

India Meteorological Department (IMD) will start giving state-specific monsoon forecast from next year.

“IMD will start making state-wise monsoon forecast from 2017 apart from zone-wise prediction,” Union minister for earth sciences Harsh Vardhan said.

Secretary in the ministry of earth sciences, M Rajeevan, said from 2018-19, it will be extended to include other seasons.

“The National Monsoon Mission has been approved. It’s a Rs 400 crore project. Dynamic model is being introduced now. Big computers have already been installed, the programmes have been put in place. From next year, we will start a spatial model. We will start giving monthly models. These are in advanced stages. There is a detailed plan to take it to the block level in next 2-3 years,” he said.

The IMD currently gives zone-specific daily monsoon forecast during the season for northwest, central India, southern peninsula and east and northeast regions. The ministry has launched the National Monsoon Mission with a vision to develop a state-of-the-art dynamic prediction system for monsoon rainfall on different time scales.