Starting with an informative introduction, the wave of technological advancements in weather prediction is hitting worldwide and India is not lagging behind. One of the remarkable strides in this direction was the international conference on “Ensemble Methods in Modelling and Data Assimilation (EMMDA)”. Organised by the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), the event took place from 24th to 26th February 2020 in Noida, India.
About The Conference
The EMMDA conference was designed as a platform for discussions and deliberations on the current status, future prospects, and optimal use of the Ensemble Prediction System (EPS). The EPS technology stands at the forefront of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) systems and allows us to estimate the uncertainties in weather predictions along with providing the most probable outcomes.
India’s Steps Forward In Weather Prediction
The significance of the conference is heightened by the fact that India has recently put into operation two global EPS with the highest resolution in the world. Alongside, a regional EPS with a horizontal resolution of 4km covering the Indian region has also been implemented. These innovations are testament to India’s commitment towards leveraging advanced technology for climate and weather services.
Ministry of Earth Sciences and Its Services
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) caters to various weather and climate-related needs of users all year round, and on a 24/7 basis. The execution of these services, both operational and research-oriented, is carried out through its constituent units, namely, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), NCMRWF, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad.
National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting
Serving as a centre of excellence in weather and climate modelling, the NCMRWF operates under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Its mission is to steadily work towards developing advanced numerical weather prediction systems. The primary aim here is to ensure increased reliability and accuracy over India and neighbouring regions via research and new application demonstrations. It is noteworthy to mention that the Centre also focuses on preserving the highest level of knowledge and technical expertise in its endeavours. For the purpose of efficient execution, the Centre has been strategically positioned in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Bringing forward an era of advancement in weather forecasting, India stands among the front runners with its operational and research-oriented steps. The successful organisation of the EMMDA conference and the subsequent discussions echo the same sentiment.
Last Modified: February 7, 2024