AI-enabled Systems introduced by IMD to provide Hyper-Local Weather forecasts: Dr Jitendra Singh

📌 Summary:

• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched two advanced AI-driven weather forecast products developed under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)

• New systems provide hyper-local, impact-based and AI-driven weather forecasts up to 10 days in advance

• "AI-based Monsoon Advance Forecast System" launched for 16 States covering over 3,000 sub-districts

• "1-km Resolution Rainfall Forecast for Uttar Pradesh" — first sub-district-level rainfall forecast at 1 km grid

• Marks a shift from conventional forecasting to impact-based, decision-support forecasting for farmers, administrators, disaster managers and citizens

• India had only 16-17 Doppler Weather Radars a decade ago; now ~50, with another 50 planned under Mission Mausam

• Expansion of observational networks (automatic weather stations, radars, IITM/NCMRWF computational modelling) is central to India's weather modernisation

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS Paper 3 — Science & Technology (AI applications); Disaster Management (early warning); GS-1 Agriculture (input to farm decisions)

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Launched by Dr. Jitendra Singh, MoS (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences

• Implementing agencies: India Meteorological Department (IMD), IITM Pune, NCMRWF

• Mission Mausam: India's weather modernisation programme

• Doppler Weather Radars in India: ~50 (up from 16-17 a decade ago); 50 more planned

• AI Monsoon Advance Forecast System covers 16 states, 3,000+ sub-districts

🔑 Key Term: Doppler Weather Radar — uses Doppler effect to measure velocity of precipitation/winds, critical for cyclone tracking and severe-weather warnings