Uttar Pradesh
Early Lightning Detection System
- 15 Jul 2024
- 2 min read
Why in News?
According to the sources, The Uttar Pradesh government plans to establish an early lightning detection and warning system.
- This system aims to avert casualties caused by lightning strikes in the state, particularly during the monsoon period.
Key Points
- According to an India Meteorological Department (IMD) report Uttar Pradesh ranks among the states with the highest lightning strike casualties in the country.
- On the direction of the chief minister, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), decided to set up a state-of-the-art lightning detection system based on time of arrival (ToA) technology, which is more time and location accurate, across the state.
- The IMD currently relies on radar-based systems and satellite data to warn about the possibility of lightning strikes in an area but it is not considered a real-time warning.
- The ToA-based system can successfully detect and warn about the possibility of lightning in a particular area at least 30 minutes in advance.
- The Uttar Pradesh Lightning Alert Management System will be set up in three phases.
- In the first phase, it will be implemented in 37 districts.
- It is expected to be set up in 20 and 18 districts respectively in the second and third phases.
Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging)
- It is a device which uses electromagnetic waves in the microwaves region to detect location (range & direction), altitude, intensity and movement of moving and non-moving objects.
India Meteorological Department
- 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.
