The Cabinet approved a ₹2,000 crore program called Mission Mausam on September 11.
The mission aims to modernize the infrastructure used for atmospheric observations.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology will be involved.
Objectives:
Enhance monsoon forecasts, air quality alerts, and extreme weather event warnings.
Deploy next-generation radars, satellite systems, high-performance supercomputers, and advanced earth-system models.
Implement a GIS-based automated Decision Support System.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will execute the mission.
First Tranche (2026):
The MoES plans to procure and install 60 weather radars, 15 wind profilers, and 15 radiosondes.
These instruments will provide regular updates on wind speeds, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and temperature.
Comparison to Previous Mission:
The predecessor to Mission Mausam, Monsoon Mission launched in 2012.
Previously relied on statistical methods for monsoon forecasting.
Limitations of Previous Model: Inaccurate forecasts, inability to capture regional diversity, and inadequate handling of droughts and floods.
The Monsoon Mission introduced dynamical models, which simulate weather patterns using physics equations.
Dynamical models offer more accurate medium-range forecasts.
Novel Aspects of Mission Mausam:
The mission includes plans for weather modification, such as cloud seeding and lightning control.
A large cloud chamber will be set up at IITM for research into weather modification.
Challenges: Weather modification faces challenges in controlling boundaries and unintended consequences.
Mission Mausam aims to better understand these processes.
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