“Sir, you can continue with this interview....it will not rain for the next couple of hours,” announces the man.
When he’s SR Ramanan, a man who has been predicting weather for many years now, you tend to believe him. As we settle down for a chat in the terrace of his West Mambalam apartment, the former Director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre tells Metroplus what he’s been up to post retirement and why he’s still clued into all things weather
How’re you keeping yourself busy after retirement?
A lot of institutions are calling me to talk about climate and weather issues to their students. The only request I tell them is: don’t give me too many shawls and mementos. I live in an apartment and don’t have space to keep them ( laughs )
You are also associated with the people who compile syllabus for school students...
I did attend a couple of meetings with the curriculum-framing committee, and interacted with authors who’re compiling geography chapters for students. They’re also planning to incorporate disaster-management lessons and I’m happy about that.
School children have been getting a lot of leave in recent times thanks to the rain, but we’re sure they’re missing you as you were the cynosure of all eyes when it used to rain a few years ago...
Back then, I used to keep stressing that I was not responsible for declaring leave but nobody believed me. I kept saying that it was the Collector and the Chief Educational Officer who decide that – owing to bad road conditions after a day it has rained. I have nothing to do with school holidays, but nobody believes me.
Have people forgotten the December 2015 deluge?
People remember it. But they should never fear and just equip themselves to manage the scenario.
So, what’s your prediction for the next couple of months?
I observed a couple of rain models; they suggest it should be normal. We may get around 44 cm, which we are bound to get. There’s one forum that have said that southern districts may have less rainfall while northern districts will have normal range rainfall.
Has awareness increased after the 2015 floods?
Yes. But even before that, the awareness about cyclones was there. When I tour villages, they ask me about veppachalam and the other terms we use.
Is it a challenge to explain weather concepts when you tour rural India?
We have to give good examples. To explain sea breeze and land-sea dynamics, for instance, I’ll tell them to take two vessels and ask them to keep one with water and one without. I also tell them to have a terrace garden if it’s possible in their building.
In this rainy season, it is actually the weather bloggers who are helping Chennaiites plan their day...
My point is simple: only one authority should spread information. Otherwise, it leads to confusion. After retirement, I could have also done daily forecasts but I’m not... because IMD is the only authorised body for that purpose. Bloggers can help by creating awareness about weather and climate-related issues; they should desist from issuing warnings and forecasts.
You were a star on social media not too long ago...
I’m not on Facebook or Twitter but yes, people do show me such memes. I enjoy them but don’t go much into it. More than that, what I cherish is while visiting villages, people think of me as their own family.
