Four metros to get 200 automatic weather stations to improve urban forecasts

New Delhi: The Centre plans to install 200 new Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune in 2026 to strengthen urban weather monitoring and improve forecast accuracy, minister of earth sciences Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.

The additional stations will focus on capturing micro-climate variations that cause extreme events such as heatwaves, cloudbursts and urban flooding. India currently has 1,008 AWS operating nationwide.

AWS are self-operating systems that use sensors to measure temperature, humidity, pressure, wind, and rainfall. The data is transmitted for real-time forecasting, research, and disaster management. This improves network density, reliability, and accuracy by reducing human error and enabling high-frequency observations.

The announcement comes amid a spate of extreme weather events across Indian cities, highlighting the role of high-resolution forecasting in managing climate risks and supporting sectors ranging from agriculture and aviation to urban planning.

A dense network of AWS will provide granular and high-resolution spatial data, enabling more accurate prediction of sudden downpours, thunderstorms, extreme heat events, and rapid pressure changes, Singh said while speaking at the 151st anniversary of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

IMD also plans to set up 10 centres of excellence (CoE) for meteorology, aimed at strengthening research, forecasting and capacity building, he said.

According to officials, the initiative aims to enhance scientific expertise, improve forecast accuracy and support evidence-based policymaking, while developing skilled manpower to address the growing challenges posed by climate variability and extreme weather events.

Singh said forecast accuracy has improved by 40–50% compared to earlier decades. Cyclone track prediction accuracy has increased by nearly 35–40%, while errors in monthly and seasonal forecasts have declined from about 7.5% to nearly 2.5%. He attributed these gains to sustained investment, technological upgrades and institutional support over the past decade.

The number of Doppler weather radars has nearly tripled, now covering about 87% of India’s geographical area. IMD currently operates 46 Doppler radars and plans to add 50 more by 2026, he added.