Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the progress achieved in weather forecasting and observation systems in the last decade has transformed the manner in which weather services are delivered to citizens, disaster management agencies, farmers, tourists and the aviation sector.
The Union Minister today launched the new Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) at Lucknow along with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. On the occasion, the Minister said that India’s meteorological infrastructure has witnessed unprecedented expansion over the last decade, enabling more accurate, location-specific and impact-based weather forecasting services across the country.
The Minister stated that India had only 17 Doppler Weather Radars in 2014, while several states, including Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Uttarakhand, did not have even a single radar. He informed that the network has now expanded to 50 Doppler Weather Radars and another 50 radars are proposed under Mission Mausam, taking the total to nearly 100 radars over the next two years.
Referring specifically to Uttar Pradesh, Dr.Jitendra Singh said the state’s geographical diversity and climatic variability make it one of the most important regions for advanced meteorological services. He noted that Uttar Pradesh is highly vulnerable to floods, droughts, heatwaves, thunderstorms and other extreme weather events, making timely forecasting and warning systems critical for public safety and disaster preparedness.
He informed that while the state had only one Doppler Weather Radar in 2014, now three are operational and several more are being commissioned. The State’s Automatic Weather Stations increased from 59 to 107, Automatic Rain Gauges Stations from 132 to 140, and Lightening Sensors from 0 to 7. He further noted that aviation meteorological services are now being provided at eleven airports across Uttar Pradesh, reflecting the growing scale of aviation infrastructure in the state.
The Lucknow Meteorological Observatory was established in 1894. In 1972, it was relocated to the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Amausi and established as the Lucknow Meteorological Center. Currently, the Lucknow Meteorological Center operates under the Regional Meteorological Center in New Delhi.
This upgradation will further strengthen its capabilities in continuous monitoring, forecasting and early warning services for the challenging weather conditions of this region, particularly the densely populated Gangetic plains and the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand.
