This northeast monsoon, the Meteorological Department is mulling over region-specific weather forecast for different parts of Chennai, on a trial basis, for better accuracy.
As rainfall intensity may vary across various areas of the city, the Department is planning to provide separate forecasts for west, south and north Chennai.
S. Balachandran, deputy director general of meteorology, Chennai, said: “Local forecast is often valid for a radius of 70 km. We are planning to interpret data from weather models and compare with radar data to arrive at specific forecast, on a trial basis.”
In a bid to have a denser weather observation network for urban meteorology, the Department has also proposed to add 50-70 automatic weather stations in the city and its suburbs, in a phased manner.
With the city increasingly receiving intense rain spells in a short span, expansion of the observation system became essential for weather monitoring and prediction.
Chennai’s weather observation network will be strengthened on the lines of other major cities like Mumbai, that has 150 automatic weather monitoring facilities. More stations would also help monitor temperature levels that vary across different locations and assess the impact of the urban heat island, he said.
The next step is to identify sites for setting up such facilities in and around Chennai.
Data obtained from automatic weather stations (AWS) will be integrated with C-Flows (Chennai Flood Warning System), an integrated web-based decision support system to tackle urban flooding. It will aid flood forecasting as part of C-Flows, developed by the National Centre for Coastal Research.
At present, there are 39 AWS and 73 automatic rain gauges (ARG) across the State. Chennai has three AWS and eight ARGs. On the functioning of the facilities, Mr. Balachandran said some of the weather instruments faced technical issues and maintenance was a challenge.
