NewzVille Desk
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday announced a significant expansion of India’s urban weather observation infrastructure, with the deployment of 200 Automatic Weather Stations across four major metropolitan cities.
Addressing at the 151st Foundation Day celebrations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Minister said that 50 Automatic Weather Stations each will be installed in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Pune during the year 2026, marking a decisive step towards strengthening hyper-local, real-time weather forecasting and disaster preparedness, particularly in densely populated urban regions.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that a dense network of Automatic Weather Stations will provide granular and high-resolution spatial data, enabling more accurate prediction of sudden downpours, thunderstorms, extreme heat events, and rapid pressure changes.
He emphasized that such data-driven forecasting is critical not only for disaster risk reduction but also for informed decision-making in sectors such as agriculture, aviation, urban planning, and public safety.
Appreciating Met Department, Dr Jitendra Singh said that IMD’s journey is uniquely aligned with the historical and administrative evolution of India itself, spanning the pre-Independence era to modern times. From its early beginnings in the Northeast to Kolkata, then Shimla, Pune and finally New Delhi, the organisation has continuously adapted to the changing needs of the nation while embracing emerging technologies and scientific capabilities.
During the event, Singh inaugurated multiple key facilities at the IMD campus, including a Model Observatory, a 3D-Printed Automatic Weather Station, and an Agro-Automatic Weather Station.
Dr. Singh also presented awards to scientists for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
The 151st Foundation Day event was attended by Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr M Ravichandran, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, along with senior officials, scientists, and members of the IMD family.
