Need more observatories for better weather forecasts: Rijiju

NEW DELHI: Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said there was a need to set up more observatories to make better weather forecasts, including for the extreme rainfall events witnessed in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to reporters after unveiling new logo of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which enters its 150th anniversary year next month, Rijiju said Tamil Nadu receives heavy rainfall in December but there were no measures to prevent heavy downpour.

Earth Sciences Secretary M Ravichandran said forecasting weather in tropical regions was difficult due to the dynamic changes it undergoes in comparison to weather in higher latitudes. “We are looking at a suite of models from Europe, the US, India and Japan. No model could capture this type of process. This is because of the sea nearby and the sudden development,” he said.

IMD was set up on January 15, 1875.