IMD commissions surface weather observatory at Siliguri college

Darjeeling: Indian Metrological Department (IMD) has commissioned a surface weather observatory at the Siliguri College. Along with recording data, the observatory will help in research work, agriculture and in future weather forecast.

"We have installed Stevension screen that will record maximum and minimum temperature through dry bulb and wet bulb. Along with this a rain gauge has also been installed. Owing to the pandemic we could not install wind vane with anemometer and some other instruments. We hope to install them soon," stated Dr Gopi Nath Raha of the IMD.

The Geography department will record daily data and send it to the IMD.

"It was a long standing demand of the people of Siliguri that an observatory be set up in this town," added Dr. Raha.

The observatory was inaugurated on October 8 by Tourism Minister Gautam Deb on the occasion of the 71st foundation day of the college.

While the college has provided the space to set up the instruments, IMD has installed the machines and well as calibrated them.

"At present we are collecting maximum and minimum temperature; rainfall, relative humidity, dew point and vapor pressure. Temperature is recorded twice daily. The data is sent to IMD. In future weather forecast will also be done from this observatory.

We have given a proposal to the IMD to set up an Automatic Weather Station and a Seismograph," stated Partha Pratim Roy of the Geography department, Siliguri College.

Students of undergraduate and postgraduate courses are getting a hand on practical in data collection and other related science through this observatory.

"The data is also very helpful for agriculture, irrigation department to forecast spate in rivers of the region and in related research activities," stated Roy.