Latest news with #ParthasarathyMukhopadhyay
Hans India
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Hans India
India launches most precise weather model
New Delhi: In a major boost to India's weather prediction capabilities, the government on Monday unveiled the Bharat Forecasting System (B Bharat Forecast System was made possible through the installation of Arka, a new supercomputer at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology campus last year. Arka boasts a computational capacity of 11.77 petaflops and a storage capacity of 33 petabytes FS) — the world's highest-resolution weather model, operating on a 6-kilometre grid. Developed by researchers, including Parthasarathy Mukhopadhyay, the model aims to deliver more granular and accurate forecasts, especially for small-scale weather patterns. "This significant milestone represents a major leap in India's self-reliance in meteorological sciences, enabling more accurate and granular weather forecasts up to panchayat level for disaster risk reduction, agriculture, water resource management and public safety," a senior official from the Earth Sciences Ministry said. The BFS was made possible through the installation of Arka, a new supercomputer at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) campus last year. Arka boasts a computational capacity of 11.77 petaflops and a storage capacity of 33 petabytes. 'The previous supercomputer 'Pratyush' used to take up to 10 hours to run the forecasting model. Arka performs the same data-crunching within four hours,' Mukhopadhyay said. Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh dedicated the Bharat Forecasting System (BFS) to the nation at a function in New Delhi. The BFS will leverage a network of 40 Doppler Weather Radars from across India to generate highly localised forecasts. It provides insight into weather events likely to take place in a grid of 6 km by 6 km against the earlier models that gave predictions for a 12 km grid. The number of Doppler radars is expected to rise to 100, which would allow the weather office to issue nowcasts — short-term forecasts for the next two hours — for the entire country. The system offers high-resolution forecasts for the tropical region between 30 degrees South and 30 degrees North latitudes, which includes the Indian mainland spanning from 8.4 degrees to 37.6 degrees North. In comparison, the global forecast models run by the European, British, and US weather offices operate at resolutions ranging from 9 km to 14 km.
Hans India
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Hans India
Bharat Forecast System: India launches world's most precise weather model
New Delhi: In a major boost to India's weather prediction capabilities, the government on Monday unveiled the Bharat Forecasting System (B Bharat Forecast System was made possible through the installation of Arka, a new supercomputer at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology campus last year. Arka boasts a computational capacity of 11.77 petaflops and a storage capacity of 33 petabytes FS) — the world's highest-resolution weather model, operating on a 6-kilometre grid. Developed by researchers, including Parthasarathy Mukhopadhyay, the model aims to deliver more granular and accurate forecasts, especially for small-scale weather patterns. "This significant milestone represents a major leap in India's self-reliance in meteorological sciences, enabling more accurate and granular weather forecasts up to panchayat level for disaster risk reduction, agriculture, water resource management and public safety," a senior official from the Earth Sciences Ministry said. The BFS was made possible through the installation of Arka, a new supercomputer at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) campus last year. Arka boasts a computational capacity of 11.77 petaflops and a storage capacity of 33 petabytes. "The previous supercomputer 'Pratyush' used to take up to 10 hours to run the forecasting model. Arka performs the same data-crunching within four hours," Mukhopadhyay said. Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh dedicated the Bharat Forecasting System (BFS) to the nation at a function in New Delhi. The BFS will leverage a network of 40 Doppler Weather Radars from across India to generate highly localised forecasts. It provides insight into weather events likely to take place in a grid of 6 km by 6 km against the earlier models that gave predictions for a 12 km grid. The number of Doppler radars is expected to rise to 100, which would allow the weather office to issue nowcasts — short-term forecasts for the next two hours — for the entire country. The system offers high-resolution forecasts for the tropical region between 30 degrees South and 30 degrees North latitudes, which includes the Indian mainland spanning from 8.4 degrees to 37.6 degrees North. In comparison, the global forecast models run by the European, British, and US weather offices operate at resolutions ranging from 9 km to 14 km. The BFS arrives at a critical time when weather anomalies are increasingly influencing India's economy, particularly in the form of sticky food inflation. The government, in its latest Economic Survey, noted that frequent extreme weather events over the past two years have played a significant role in driving up food prices. Data from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) cited in the report highlighted that the total crop area damaged in 2024 due to extreme weather was higher than in previous years. India Meteorological Department (IMD) data revealed a notable increase in the frequency of such events. Between 2022 and 2024, heatwaves were recorded on 18 per cent of days, a sharp rise from 5 per cent during 2020 and 2021. The Economic Survey recommended developing climate-resilient crops, improving data systems, and reducing both crop damage and post-harvest losses to achieve long-term price stability.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Bharat Forecast System: India launches world's most precise weather model to improve predictions
PTI photo NEW DELHI: In a major boost to India's weather prediction capabilities, the government on Monday unveiled the Bharat Forecasting System (BFS) — the world's highest-resolution weather model, operating on a 6-kilometre grid. Developed by researchers including Parthasarathy Mukhopadhyay, the model aims to deliver more granular and accurate forecasts, especially for small-scale weather patterns. "This significant milestone represents a major leap in India's self-reliance in meteorological sciences, enabling more accurate and granular weather forecasts up to panchayat level for disaster risk reduction, agriculture, water resource management and public safety," a senior official from the Earth Sciences Ministry said. The BFS was made possible through the installation of Arka, a new supercomputer at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) campus last year. Arka boasts a computational capacity of 11.77 petaflops and a storage capacity of 33 petabytes. "The previous supercomputer 'Pratyush' used to take up to 10 hours to run the forecasting model. Arka performs the same data-crunching within four hours," Mukhopadhyay told news agency PTI. Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh dedicated the Bharat Forecasting System to the nation at a function in New Delhi. According to M. Ravichandran, the BFS will leverage a network of 40 Doppler Weather Radars from across India to generate highly localised forecasts. 'The BFS provides insight into weather events likely to take place in a grid of 6 km by 6 km against the earlier models that gave predictions for a 12 km grid,' he explained. The number of Doppler radars is expected to rise to 100, which would allow the weather office to issue nowcasts — short-term forecasts for the next two hours — for the entire country. The system offers high-resolution forecasts for the tropical region between 30 degrees South and 30 degrees North latitudes, which includes the Indian mainland spanning from 8.4 degrees to 37.6 degrees North. In comparison, Ravichandran pointed out that the global forecast models run by the European, British, and US weather offices operate at resolutions ranging from 9 km to 14 km. The BFS arrives at a critical time when weather anomalies are increasingly influencing India's economy, particularly in the form of sticky food inflation. The government, in its latest Economic Survey, noted that frequent extreme weather events over the past two years have played a significant role in driving up food prices. Data from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) cited in the report highlighted that the total crop area damaged in 2024 due to extreme weather was higher than in previous years. India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, according to the Economic Times, revealed a notable increase in the frequency of such events. Between 2022 and 2024, heatwaves were recorded on 18 per cent of days, a sharp rise from 5 per cent during 2020 and 2021. The Economic Survey recommended developing climate-resilient crops, improving data systems, and reducing both crop damage and post-harvest losses to achieve long-term price stability. Supporting these concerns, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its monthly bulletin flagged the impact of weather anomalies on vegetable prices, stating that temperature anomalies have increased, prompting the need for temperature-resistant crop varieties. Despite these concerns, the bulletin noted that the inflation outlook has improved, with food inflation declining more than expected. However, weather-related and global risks continue to pose challenges.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
India to become first with hi-res global weather forecast system
India is set to become the first country in the world to possess a fully indigenously developed high-resolution global weather forecasting system. Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, the Bharat Forecasting System (BFS), also known as the High-Resolution Global Forecast Model (HGFM), operates at a 6-km resolution over global tropics (the forecasting system covers the tropical regions of the globe, which are typically located between 30 degrees South latitude and 30 degrees North latitude) compared to the current 12-km global forecast system (GFS) model used in India. Developed entirely in India, this model provides more detailed forecasts of weather events such as heavy rainfall and cyclones. 'India will be the only country in the world to possess a high-resolution (~6 km) global model developed completely by indigenous scientists, without any dependencies on foreign centres or institutes,' said a senior official from the Ministry of Earth Sciences, adding that the BFS, will be formally released on Monday (May 26) in New Delhi. Also Read: Southwest monsoon likely to arrive in Kerala over the next 4-5 days: IMD In the backdrop of climate impacts, the country has been witnessing an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, said Parthasarathy Mukhopadhyay, senior retired scientist of IITM (currently at IISER, Berhampur) and a key developer of the model. 'The Bharat Forecast System is a game-changer in this context, providing high-resolution forecasts that will help both disaster managers and local communities prepare effectively, on a scale that no other country possesses at this point.' On Saturday, the IMD announced the early onset of the southwest monsoon over India. The monsoon advanced into Kerala, parts of Karnataka and several other regions ahead of the normal onset date of June 1. The IMD reported further monsoon progress into Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, northeastern states, and parts of the Bay of Bengal and sub-Himalayan regions over the next few days. Also Read: IMD: Monsoon arrives in Kerala, earliest onset since 2009 'The southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala on May 24, 2025, marking the earliest onset since 2009. All the key atmospheric and oceanic conditions for a classical monsoon onset have been favourable. We have observed the formation of a low-pressure area, strengthening of the westerly winds at lower levels, establishment of a well-defined monsoon trough, and enhanced moisture transport. The presence of a vortex and a depression over the Arabian Sea has further facilitated the monsoon advance. This combination of factors has contributed to a highly accurate forecast, and we expect the monsoon to progress further into Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and other parts of southern India over the next 2–3 days,' director general of IMD Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said. The early monsoon arrival highlights the importance of high-resolution, timely forecasts, added Mukhopadhyay. 'With the Bharat Forecast System, we will be better positioned to anticipate and respond to such shifts.' The BFS has been running experimentally since June 2022 at IITM and has demonstrated improved accuracy in forecasting cyclone tracks and intensities, as well as extreme rainfall events, said Mukhopadhyaya. Its launch marks a milestone not only for Indian meteorological research but also globally, placing India among the world's leading nations in weather forecasting capabilities. Also read: Monsoon in Kerala by May 27: IMD One of the system's unique features is its open-access approach, offering free availability to meteorological researchers and practitioners worldwide. 'We believe that opening up the system to the global community will foster rapid advancements in weather prediction science,' Mukhopadhyay said. 'This is not just about India but about contributing to global meteorological research and preparedness.' The BFS's focus on the tropics, where deep convective clouds and high-impact weather are common, makes it particularly relevant for a country like India, where localized weather extremes can have far-reaching impacts on lives and livelihoods. The enhanced resolution will enable forecasts at the sub-block level, providing detailed, actionable information for disaster preparedness and response. Developed entirely by IITM scientists, with informal inputs from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and other institutions, the BFS reinforces India's growing capacity in scientific research and operational forecasting. Union minister of earth sciences Jitendra Singh along with senior officials from the ministry, IITM, and the IMD will be present at the formal launch on Monday. 'This development marks a landmark and critical step forward in India's meteorological capabilities,' Mukhopadhyay added. 'It enhances not just our scientific standing, but also the preparedness of communities and disaster management authorities who depend on accurate, timely forecasts.'
