Indian Meteorological Department

• 29 Dec 2023

Source: IE

Why in News?

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recently got a new logo ahead of the commencement of its 150^th year of providing weather and climate services to the country.

• The new logo, in a mix of orange and green colours, depicts numerical 150 embedded with the present logo showing the Indian monsoon winds crossing over India.

What is the India Meteorological Department?

• About:
  • IMD was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
    • It works as an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.
• Roles and Responsibilities:
  • To take meteorological observations and to provide current and forecast meteorological information for optimum operation of weather-sensitive activities like agriculture, irrigation, shipping, aviation, offshore oil explorations, etc.
  • To warn against severe weather phenomena like tropical cyclones, norwesters, dust storms, heavy rains and snow, cold and heat waves, etc., which cause destruction of life and property.
  • To provide meteorological statistics required for agriculture, water resource management, industries, oil exploration and other nation-building activities.
  • To conduct and promote research in meteorology and allied disciplines.

Note

Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere, focusing on understanding and forecasting weather patterns, atmospheric phenomena, and climate.

• It involves analyzing atmospheric conditions, such as temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind, and precipitation, to predict weather and study the processes that drive the Earth's atmospheric system.

What are the Major Initiatives Related to Meteorology in India?

• National Monsoon Mission (NMM): Government of India launched NMM in 2012 with a vision to develop a state-of-the-art dynamical prediction system for monsoon rainfall on different time scales.
• Mausam App: Tool for dissemination of weather information and warnings in an attractive and user friendly manner.
• Doppler Weather Radars: Based on Doppler principle, the radar is designed to improve precision in long-range weather forecasting and surveillance using a parabolic dish antenna and a foam sandwich spherical radome.
  • DWR has the equipment to measure rainfall intensity, wind shear and velocity and locate a storm center and the direction of a tornado or gust front.