The State government has stated that ISRO and Andhra Pradesh Weather Forecasting and Early Warning Research Centre (AWARE) under Real Time Governance (RTG) did not issue any long-term cyclone forecasts for the State in September.
The government has also stated that the AWARE research team had forecast active NE monsoon season along with low pressure systems in South Bay of Bengal on an experimental basis.
The government’s statement assumes significance in the wake of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) accusing ISRO of misleading people and taking their job away by reaching out to the masses with incomplete weather details.
A vernacular daily, quoting IMD officials, reported that ISRO had crossed all limits by merely imagining the prediction of cyclones without any significant information.
Till date, the country is not fully equipped with technology that can accurately predict cyclones.
“It is to note that ISRO and RTG have not issued any long-term cyclone forecasts for the State in September 2017,” said a press release issued by the office of the Government Advisor (Communications) on Tuesday.
The government established AWARE under RTG with the help of ISRO. The AWARE team is able to generate weather forecasts for the State in the areas of climate, station-level weather forecasts, river runoff predictions, agro advisories, sea state advisories, and tropical cyclone genesis, and track forecast with the help of SDC, SHAR ISRO since August 2017.
The notable achievements include forecast of cyclone ‘Vardah’ (December 12, 2016). Genesis was provided 10 days early within three days accurate landfall forecast.
