India Meteorological Department (IMD) to deploy 200 Automatic Weather Stations across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune

Key facts

• 200 Automatic Weather Stations will be installed—50 each in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune—to enable hyper-local, real-time weather monitoring.
• The dense network will generate high-resolution spatial data for accurate prediction of sudden downpours, thunderstorms, heatwaves and rapid pressure changes.
• IMD’s forecast accuracy has improved by 40–50 per cent over past decades, with cyclone track prediction accuracy up by 35–40 per cent.
• Weather radar coverage has expanded to about 87 per cent of India’s geographical area, and forecasts now reach lead times as precise as three hours.
• India shares weather data and satellite-based support with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, reinforcing regional disaster preparedness.
• IMMD headquarters runs fully on solar power, feeding surplus electricity back into the national grid.