3 More Doppler Radars To Be Set Up In Odisha To Improve Forecasting

Bhubaneswar: In order to strengthen meteorological forecasting capabilities, steps are being taken to install three more new Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) in Odisha.

Sources said the Ministry Of Earth Sciences has taken measures for the installation of three new DWRs in the to enhance weather forecast mechanism.

A total of 126 doppler weather radars will be installed across the country by 2026. Currently, there are 73 radars operational in India and 53 new ones will be installed soon, of which three will be set up in Bhubaneswar, Balasore and Sambalpur in Odisha, officials said.

The doppler radar in Bhubaneswar will provide detailed data on urban flooding or artificial flooding as well as air quality for the city, they said.

The DWR network is mainly used to monitor localised thunderstorms and heavy rainfall and to issue timely nowcast warnings for up to three hours. The DWR data are also ingested in the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models, especially in nowcast models, for the prediction of rainfall and thunderstorms in 6 to 12 hours in advance. Suitable warnings and alerts are issued with the help of these DWRs.

Notably, a Doppler weather radar station was inaugurated at Jamadarpali in Sambalpur by Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Sunday.

The project will be fully functional in six months after the installation of the DWR system.