Regional Meteorological Centre
Why in News?
The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences inaugurated India’s seventh Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Jammu. Alongside the Jammu expansion, a brand-new RMC was launched in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, to scale up weather services in the plain regions.
About
- Definition: An RMC is a specialized regional administrative and technical hub of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) responsible for regional weather observation and warning dissemination.
- Parent Ministry: RMCs operate under the IMD, which functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India.
- The Full Network: Initially, IMD operated through six historical centers, but with the recent additions, there are now active RMCs catering to distinct zones:
- Mumbai (Western Region)
- Chennai (Southern Region)
- New Delhi (North-Western Region)
- Kolkata (Eastern Region)
- Nagpur (Central Region)
- Guwahati (North-Eastern Region)
- Jammu (North-Western Himalayan Region — Newly Added)
- Lucknow (North-Central Plains Region — Newly Added)
- Multi-Hazard Early Warnings: Issue immediate alerts for localized severe weather, including flash floods, cloudbursts, avalanches, heavy snowfall, thunderstorms, and landslides.
- Sector-Specific Advisories: Provide tailored updates such as the Agromet Advisory Services for farmers, transport operators, and mountain pilgrims.
- Aviation & Marine Forecasts: Manage weather monitoring for regional airports and coastal regions (via specialized wings like the Area Cyclone Warning Centres).
- Data Synthesis: Maintain networks of Doppler Weather Radars (DWR), Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), and Automated Rain Gauges (ARG) to feed high-resolution localized data into numerical prediction models.
RMC Jammu
- Jurisdiction: Serves Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh.
- Technological Backbone: Backed by four operational Doppler Weather Radars at Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, and Banihal Top, with 5 more proposed for high-altitude locations.
- Focus Area: Geared completely towards complex Himalayan weather topography and high-altitude disaster management.
- Jurisdiction: Caters to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and adjoining plain boundaries.
- Infrastructure Boost: Accompanied by an increase in Automatic Weather Stations (from 59 to 107) and lightning detection sensor networks.
- Focus Area: Dedicated to river basin flooding patterns, intense heatwaves, and tracking plain-level convective storms.
