Key Highlights
- The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Lucknow was inaugurated on 8 June 2026 by CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
- RMC will deliver hyper‑local forecasts, early warnings and climate services for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and adjacent areas.
- India’s Doppler radar fleet has risen from 17 in 2014 to 50 now, with another 50 slated under Mission Mausam, targeting roughly 100 radars by 2028.
- Uttar Pradesh’s meteorological assets have more than doubled, including three operational radars and over 100 automatic weather stations.
- The upgraded network is expected to curtail losses from floods, heatwaves, avalanches and other extreme events.
Detailed Insights
The Lucknow RMC represents a decisive move toward decentralising the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecasting apparatus. By situating a high‑capacity hub within the heart of North‑India, the centre can generate location‑specific forecasts, disseminate alerts to farmers, aviation authorities and disaster managers, and integrate data from the expanding array of Doppler radars, wind profilers and automatic weather stations.
Over the past decade, the nation’s observation infrastructure has been overhauled. In 2014, only 17 Doppler radars were operational; today that number stands at 50, with Mission Mausam earmarking an additional 50 units, effectively doubling the coverage within two years. This growth enables real‑time monitoring of atmospheric parameters, sharpening both short‑range and medium‑range predictions.
Uttar Pradesh alone mirrors this trajectory. From a solitary radar in 2014, the state now operates three, complemented by 107 automatic weather stations, 140 rain‑gauge stations and seven lightning sensors. Such density improves situational awareness for flash floods, thunderstorms, heat spikes, avalanches and landslides, granting authorities the lead time needed for preventive action.
Mission Mausam, the flagship programme driving these upgrades, aligns modern radar technology with impact‑based forecasting. The ultimate ambition is to safeguard lives and livelihoods by delivering precise, timely weather information to every stakeholder.
Key Concepts
- Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC): A regional hub under IMD responsible for localized weather modelling, early‑warning dissemination and climate services.
- Doppler Weather Radar: A radar system that measures the velocity of precipitation particles, crucial for detecting storms, wind patterns and severe weather.
- Mission Mausam: Government of India’s strategic initiative to modernise meteorological infrastructure through expanded radar networks, advanced modelling and resilient climate services.
- Automatic Weather Station (AWS): An unmanned station that records temperature, humidity, wind speed, and other parameters continuously, feeding data to forecasting models.
- Impact‑Based Forecasting: An approach that translates meteorological data into potential societal effects, enabling targeted warnings and response plans.