New Regional Meteorological Centre Launched at Lucknow; Doppler Radar Network Expanding under Mission Mausam

📌 Summary:

• A new Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) was launched at Lucknow (by Dr. Jitendra Singh and UP CM Yogi Adityanath) to decentralise and strengthen regional weather forecasting for UP, Uttarakhand and adjoining areas
• India's Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) network has expanded from 17 (2014) to 50, with 50 more planned under Mission Mausam — targeting ~100 radars within two years
• Uttar Pradesh infrastructure grew sharply: Doppler radars 1→3 (more being commissioned); Automatic Weather Stations 59→107; Automatic Rain Gauges 132→140; lightning sensors 0→7; aviation met services now at 11 UP airports
• Forecasting has shifted from broad regional predictions to highly localised, impact-based and short-range (next-few-hours) forecasts, aiding farmers, disaster agencies, aviation and tourists
• UP is highly vulnerable to floods, droughts, heatwaves and thunderstorms; Uttarakhand (flash floods, cloudbursts, landslides, avalanches) gained 3 Doppler radars; citizens urged to take early warnings seriously

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 disaster management — early-warning systems and impact-based forecasting; with GS1 geography (climatology) and Mission Mausam linkage.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Mission Mausam aims to expand India's Doppler Weather Radar network toward ~100 radars
• The RMC operates under the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences
• Doppler Weather Radar enables real-time precipitation and storm (nowcasting) tracking

🔑 Key Term: Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) — radar that uses the Doppler effect to measure precipitation intensity and wind, central to nowcasting and severe-weather warnings.