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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Defunct Doppler radars hit weather predictions in Delhi
Despite almost a fortnight elapsing since the onset of monsoon in Delhi, two of the Capital's three Doppler weather radars (DWRs), used to track clouds and predict rain, are not functional, officials aware of the matter said. A Doppler weather radar sends radio waves from its antenna, which hit clouds and bounce back, allowing it to gauge how far rain clouds or rainfall activity actually are from the city. (AP) Delhi has three DWRs, at Palam, Lodhi Road, and Ayanagar, which have ranges of 400km, 250km, and 100km, respectively. The DWRs at Lodhi Road and Ayanagar have both been out of operation for over a month now, making forecasts reliant on the remaining radar at Palam. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed this to routine maintenance, but added that the Doppler at Ayanagar is likely to be made operational soon. A DWR sends radio waves from its antenna, which hit clouds and bounce back, allowing it to gauge how far rain clouds or rainfall activity actually are from the city. Based on the distance and trajectory of the clouds, IMD forecasts when rainfall will hit a particular point in the city, along with the intensity expected. Experts said that while the Palam DWR has the largest radius—not impacting monsoon forecasts significantly—the Doppler radars at Lodhi Road and Ayanagar have a shorter radius and thus, allow for more precise short-term forecasts, allowing weather forecasters to gauge more accurately which areas are likely to receive more rain. 'Lodhi road has been out of operation for nearly two months now. Ayanagar has also been out of operations for over a month. The two in theory work together to add to the Palam doppler by giving a more precise estimate on how fast clouds are moving and the storm intensity. If one has at least Lodhi road available alongside Palam, forecasts, along with the possible impact time and the area being affected becomes more precise,' said Ashwary Tiwari, a meteorologist who runs the page IndiaMetSky on X. DWRs operate within the S, C and X bands of the microwave spectrum, allowing wavelengths ranging from 2.4 to 15 cm to be sent out to detect different weather systems. While the Ayanagar's DWR has an X-band radar, the Lodhi Road one uses a C-band, and the Palam radar uses an S-band. M Mohapatra, director general of IMD, however, said even with the two Doppler radars out for maintenance, there were no challenges to forecasting weather in Delhi for this monsoon. 'We will operationalise Ayanagar soon,' Mohapatra added. Last monsoon, both Palam and Lodhi Road radars were out of operation, with only the one at Ayanagar operational, when 'almost a cloudburst' was seen in Delhi with 91mm precipitation recorded in a single hour between 5am and 6am, and over 228mm in a 24-hour window. The IMD had failed to forecast such an intensity, owing to the short radius of Ayanagar.
News18
06-07-2025
- Climate
- News18
Weather Update: Red Alerts For Mandi, Pune; Delhi, Bengaluru Brace For More Rain
Last Updated: Weather Update: The IMD has predicted moderate rain and thunderstorms across the national capital on Sunday. Red alert is in place for Pune. Several Indian states are receiving rainfall, including parts of North and Central India. The downpour has affected daily life, causing waterlogging and traffic disruptions, with Himachal Pradesh being one of the worst-hit states. Himachal Pradesh Weather Update: Roads Blocked, Red Alert In Place Nearly 250 roads, including 176 in Mandi district, are blocked due to continuous rainfall. The weather department has issued a red alert for Kangra, Sirmaur, and Mandi, and an orange alert for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba, Solan, Shimla, and Kullu. The IMD has also warned of low to moderate flash flood risk in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur over the next 24 hours. Delhi, Punjab Likely To Receive More Rain The IMD has predicted moderate rain and thunderstorms across the national capital on Sunday. The sky will remain generally cloudy. 'Rainfall activity has started across the National Capital Region in a scattered manner, but activity will increase from Saturday and is expected to peak between July 6–8 as the monsoon axis remains close to the Capital," said Ashwary Tiwari, who runs the IndiaMetSky handle on X. A red alert is also in place for Punjab, and an orange alert has been issued for Haryana and Chandigarh. Places in Haryana, including Yamuna Nagar, Ambala, Panchkula, Karnal, Kurukshetra, and Kaithal, are likely to receive heavy rain. 'Very heavy rain (120 mm or more) is likely at isolated places on July 6 and 7 in parts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, and Rupnagar districts," the IMD said. A red alert is in place for Pune, while an orange alert has been issued for Mumbai, Palghar, and Raigad. 'The model forecast suggests that Pune city will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainfall until July 11. However, the ghat areas are likely to witness heavy to extremely heavy rainfall on July 6 and 7," said S.D. Sanap, senior meteorologist at IMD Pune. Meanwhile, the IMD has also issued a yellow alert for Mumbai till Monday. Rainfall intensity is expected to reduce from July 8. Bengaluru Weather: IMD Predicts Rain The IMD has predicted a wet and stormy day ahead, with thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and light to moderate rainfall expected during the afternoon, evening, and night. 'During afternoon – Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, light to moderate rainfall. During evening – Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, light to moderate rainfall. During night – Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, light to moderate rainfall," the IMD said. Jharkhand Weather: Orange Alert Issued The IMD has issued an orange alert for parts of Jharkhand. Heavy rain is expected to continue until Monday morning. Rajasthan Weather: IMD Predicts More Downpour According to IMD predictions, moderate to heavy rain is likely in parts of Bharatpur, Jaipur, and Shekhawati over the next 2–3 days.
