India is set to significantly strengthen city level weather monitoring and forecasting with the installation of 200 new Automatic Weather Stations across four major metropolitan centres during 2026. The initiative was announced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh at the 151st Foundation Day celebrations of the India Meteorological Department, marking a major push towards hyper local, data driven weather services for public safety, disaster preparedness and urban planning.
Under the expansion plan, 50 Automatic Weather Stations will be installed each in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune. The dense urban network will generate high resolution, real time data on rainfall, temperature, wind patterns, humidity and pressure variations, enabling accurate short range and ultra short range forecasts for cities that are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Addressing senior officials, scientists and stakeholders, the Minister said that city specific forecasting has become essential as urban centres face rising risks from cloudbursts, flash floods, heatwaves and sudden storms. He said that granular weather data supports not only disaster risk reduction but also informed decision making in sectors such as aviation, agriculture, transport, infrastructure development and public health.
The announcement coincided with the 151st Foundation Day of IMD, an institution whose evolution mirrors the administrative and scientific journey of modern India. From its early years in the Northeast and Kolkata to later shifts to Shimla, Pune and New Delhi, the department has consistently adapted to national needs while embracing new technologies. The Minister recalled that the organisation’s 150th anniversary celebrations last year were attended by the Prime Minister, whose encouragement acted as a catalyst for faster adoption of advanced systems and innovations.
Highlighting improvements in forecasting capability, the Minister said that overall weather forecast accuracy has improved by more than 40 to 50 per cent compared to earlier decades. Cyclone track prediction accuracy has increased by nearly 35 to 40 per cent, while errors in monthly and seasonal forecasts have declined sharply from about 7.5 per cent to nearly 2.5 per cent. These gains, he said, are the result of sustained investment, institutional autonomy and access to cutting edge technology.
The Minister pointed to the launch of Mission Mausam as a clear signal of the government’s long term commitment to strengthening meteorological science and climate services. He said national level articulation of such missions underscores the priority accorded to public safety, scientific capacity building and climate resilience.
India’s expanding role as a regional provider of meteorological and disaster related services was also highlighted. The country now shares satellite based data and early warning information with neighbouring nations including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, strengthening regional cooperation and disaster preparedness across South Asia.
Detailing infrastructure growth, the Minister said the national network of weather radars has nearly tripled over the last decade and now covers about 87 per cent of India’s geographical area. Expanded Doppler Weather Radars, rainfall monitoring systems, aerosol and solar radiation networks, micro radiometers and district level observation systems have significantly enhanced data coverage. Ultra short range forecasts, in some cases extending to three hour windows, are now enabling citizens and authorities to take timely preventive action.
The growing public trust in IMD was reflected, he said, in the surge of traffic on the department’s digital platforms during recent extreme events, including a seismic episode when public demand briefly overwhelmed online systems. He said upgrades to digital infrastructure are underway to ensure uninterrupted access to information.
The Minister also highlighted IMD’s alignment with national sustainability goals, noting that the department’s headquarters was among the first government offices to fully transition to solar energy, resulting in substantial cost savings and surplus power contribution to the national grid.
The Foundation Day event was attended by Secretary Ministry of Earth Sciences, Director General of Meteorology and senior scientists and officials. The Minister inaugurated several new facilities at the IMD campus, including a model observatory, a 3D printed Automatic Weather Station and an agro automatic weather station, reflecting the emphasis on indigenously developed, cost effective and modular technologies.
Concluding his address, the Minister said proposals are underway to establish Centres of Excellence and additional Regional Meteorological Centres to further expand IMD’s reach. He expressed confidence that as the organisation enters its 152nd year, its accuracy, credibility and public trust will continue to grow, strengthening India’s disaster preparedness and climate service framework.
