New Mangaluru radar to power hyper-local weather alerts in Kerala
A newly commissioned radar in Mangaluru is expected to significantly bolster localised weather forecasting for the region.
IMD Regional Director Neetha K. Gopal said on Tuesday (May 13) that under the existing 'Nowcast' system, which delivers real-time weather updates, the department would now issue hyper-local alerts. This marks a shift from the current system, which provides weather information on a district-wide basis.
'With the new radar analysis, we will be able to provide a more localised weather warning system against the present practice of providing district-wise alerts,' Ms. Gopal said. The districts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Wayanad will be covered by the new radar.
'When we are able to provide localised weather information, an alert need not be issued for the entire district, but only for the area that is going to be affected,' she said.
The IMD staff are now being trained to provide this data accurately, and alerts will be issued both in English and Malayalam to the public, avoiding a delay in translation, Ms. Gopal added.
The south-west monsoon has already reached Andamans, its first entry point, and it is expected to hit the Kerala coast on May 27.
The Monsoon onset this year is earlier than normal. The south-west monsoon usually travels from Andamans to the Kerala coast in 10 days, and the director said that this year also the progression would happen during the same time period, and that no disruptions were expected.
'We do not see any chances for formation of cyclonic storms or low pressure en route as these are the factors that usually disrupt the smooth progression of the monsoon,' she added.
The cloud movement direction has already changed from east to west to west to east, bringing in pre-monsoon showers in various parts of Kerala. The westerly winds are expected to bring in more rains, increasing the soil saturation levels in Kerala.
The IMD has predicted an above-normal monsoon across India this year. This, coupled with an increased soil saturation rate, is a possible recipe for natural disasters like landslides, officials said.
Kerala has witnessed extreme weather events in recent history, and the localised weather warning would help the State authorities to prepare themselves better, they added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
CM Naidu orders precautionary steps as heavy rains, flood inflows lash Andhra
Agency: Amaravati, Aug 13 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday directed officials to take precautionary measures and closely monitor sudden flood inflows from streams and rivulets, particularly in the Krishna River basin. The IMD has forecast 'heavy rainfall and thunderstorms" at isolated places across the state over the next seven days, until August 19. 'Officials should take precautionary measures, and sudden flood inflows from streams and rivulets in the Krishna River basin must be monitored continuously," Naidu said in a statement. He instructed officials to issue alerts in downstream areas, evacuate low-lying regions, and clear stagnant water. Officials briefed Naidu that gates at the Nagarjunasagar and Pulichintala irrigation projects were opened to ease inflows. The Krishna River is expected to receive up to five lakh cusecs of water by Thursday, with more than three lakh cusecs already released through the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada, along with 5,000 cusecs into canals. Naidu also ordered the diversion of four TMC of water per day to the Somasila and Kandaleru projects to prevent excess water from draining into the Bay of Bengal. As part of flood management efforts, Naidu approved Rs 40 crore for the construction of the Budameru–Velagaleru utility. He also instructed the water resources department to remove horseweed and water hyacinth from canals across the state during the rainy season to ensure smooth water flow. The India Meteorological Department has forecast 'extremely heavy rainfall" over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) on the day, while North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, and Rayalaseema are likely to receive 'heavy to very heavy rain." Thunderstorms with lightning are expected at isolated places across all four regions. Strong surface winds of 50–60 kmph are likely over NCAP, Yanam, and SCAP on August 13, and 40–50 kmph over Rayalaseema. On August 14, SCAP may receive 'heavy to very heavy rainfall," while NCAP, Yanam, and Rayalaseema are likely to experience 'heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds." On August 15, 'heavy rain is forecast at isolated places" over NCAP and Yanam, with thunderstorms and winds of 40–50 kmph expected across all regions. From August 16–17, 'heavy rain is likely" over NCAP and Yanam, with thunderstorms and strong winds at isolated places in SCAP and Rayalaseema. On August 18–19, 'heavy rainfall is expected" over NCAP and Yanam, with reduced thunderstorm activity. The IMD said a low-pressure area persists over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off the north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts. An east–west trough extends from the Bay of Bengal to the northeast Arabian Sea across Telangana, north Maharashtra, and south Gujarat at 3.1–5.8 km above mean sea level. Another trough runs from east Uttar Pradesh to the low-pressure area across Chhattisgarh at 1.5 km above mean sea level. The upper air cyclonic circulation over north interior Karnataka has weakened, with weather activity now primarily driven by the Bay of Bengal low-pressure system, the department added. PTI MS SSK view comments First Published: August 13, 2025, 19:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Bihar floods: Satellite pictures show swollen rivers, breached boundaries
The monsoon has plunged parts of India into a familiar crisis: rising water levels inundating large parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam and Bihar. Of these, Bihar is bearing some of the most severe flood conditions. So far, torrential rain has reportedly affected at least 17 lakh people in 10 districts of Bihar. advertisementHeavy rainfall in various districts, including Bhojpur, Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Saran, Munger, Khagaria, Supaul and Begusarai caused rivers and streams to Bhagalpur district of Bihar, six blocks — Kursela, Barari, Manihari, Amdabad, Mansahi, and Pranpur — are severely affected, with nearly five lakh people reportedly living with floodwaters at their doorsteps. The water level at Bhagalpur station reached 34.86 metres, matching the high flood level and well above the danger mark of 33.68 metres on August 13. Nearby stations like Kahalgaon and Ekchari are also in critical condition, according to Central Water Commission (CWC) data. India Today's OSINT team analysed recent flood data from the CWC alongside remote sensing imagery to assess the flood situation across India. The Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, the Ghagra in Bihar, the Ichamati in West Bengal, and the Brahmaputra in Assam are all flowing above danger levels. Ichamati River in West Bengal has breached danger marks in two analysis of Sentinel-2 satellite data has produced precise flood maps of Bihar, identifying affected locations along the Ganga and other rivers that have risen above danger levels across the state. Sentinel-2 imagery shows the Ganga near Bhagalpur overflowing into Akbarnagar, Tilakpur, and Belthu, inundating roughly 19 kilometres and breaching its embankments. Flood mapping of Bihar's Chandan region and Jharkhand's Ichagarh area reveals vast stretches of land submerged under water. In Jharkhand's Sahibganj district, around 20,000 people in five blocks are reportedly affected as the Ganga crosses the danger mark, flooding homes. Since June 17, the state has received 40% above-normal rainfall, as per IMD. The Teesta in Sikkim and West Bengal, the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar's Chandan river are flowing at high levels, as per CWC data. The IMD has issued red alerts for Sikkim, Assam, and Meghalaya, and orange alerts for Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh. - Ends
News18
5 hours ago
- News18
Heavy rain forecast for sub-Himalayan West Bengal till Friday
Kolkata, Aug 13 (PTI) The IMD on Wednesday forecast heavy to very heavy rain in the sub-Himalayan districts of West Bengal till Friday morning, owing to strong moisture incursion and an active monsoon trough. Several places in north Bengal, including Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri received heavy rainfall since Tuesday morning, it said. A low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal is likely to cross north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts by Friday, but will not have any direct impact on West Bengal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin. The sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall till Friday morning, it said. Light to moderate rain is likely to occur at many places in south Bengal till Friday morning, the bulletin said. The IMD said Alipurduar received the maximum rainfall in the past 24 hours till 8.30 am on Wednesday at 210 mm, while Cooch Behar recorded 105-mm precipitation during the same period. Other places that received considerable amount of rain include Bagdogra (83 mm), Jalpaiguri (72 mm) and Raiganj (91 mm), it added. PTI AMR RBT view comments First Published: August 13, 2025, 16:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
