IMD Launches Interactive Cyclone Warning and Marine Weather Platform:
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched an interactive Cyclone Warning and Marine Weather Services Decision Support System(DSS) to strengthen cyclone preparedness and support timely decision-making.
- DSS is a WebGIS-based platform providing interactive maps and visualisations of cyclone-related hazards, including cyclone tracks, intensity forecasts, wind distribution, rainfall warnings, storm surge information and rainfall forecasts for river catchments.
- The launch coincided with the anniversaries of the landfalls of Very Severe Cyclonic Storms Phailin (2013) and Hudhud (2014), whose successful forecasting marked important milestones in India’s cyclone early-warning capabilities.
- It provides location-specific hazard information to disaster management authorities, government agencies and the public to improve preparedness and reduce losses.
- The platform is accessible through IMD and Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre((RSMC) websites and IMD’s Decision Support System.
- IMD’s biannual Pre-Cyclone Exercise Meeting, conducted since 2008, brings together disaster management authorities, defence forces, coastal states, fisheries departments and scientific organisations to review cyclone preparedness.
- The platform enables location-specific early warnings, supports evacuation planning and disaster risk reduction, and improves coordination among forecasting agencies, disaster management authorities and other stakeholders.
