Question

How is the forecasting of cyclones done in India?

Answer 1

For cyclone forecast and advance warning, the Government have strengthened the Meteorological Department, by providing Cyclone Surveillance Radars at Calcutta, Paradeep, Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam, Madras and Karaikal in the east coast and at Cochin, Goa, Bombay and Bhuj in the west coast. Satellite picture receiving (APT) equipments at Delhi, Bombay, Pune, Madras, Visakhapatnam, Calcutta and Guwahati are receiving satellite pictures of the cyclones from the polar-orbiting Satellites of the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. Since April 1, 1982 A.V.H.R.R. (Advance very High Resolution Radio-meter) ground receiving equipment is operative at New Delhi. At this Centre very High Resolution Cloud pictures (Resolution 1.1 km) in 5 channels as also T.I.P. data (Tiros Information Processor) are being regularly received and are being archived in Magnetic Tapes. Hard copies of the pictures in 2 or 3 channels are being obtained regularly. Distinct advantage of these pictures is due to their very High Resolution in all the 5 channels. Further improvements in the cyclone tracking and forecasting have taken place after the Meteorological application programme of the Indian Geo-Stationary Satellite INSAT-LB has become operational since October 1983. Monitoring of the cyclone by taking hourly pictures has helped the forecaster to improve his skill in issuing the timely warnings to the public. Satellite pictures received by the Meteorological Data Utilisation Centre (M.D.U.C.) at New Delhi are further disseminated to all the forecasting Offices through Radio Facsimile