IMD and Private players

Syllabus– General Studies 3(environment)

Context

Parliamentary panel for synergy between IMD and private players

More on the news:

• According to the Standing Committee on Science:
  • There is a need for better synergy between the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and private forecasters.
  • To avoid confusion, especially during extreme climate events like cyclones or flash floods.
• Currently, there are three private players in India i.e.;
  • Skymet (India),
  • Earth Networks and
  • IBM Weather.
• In recent years, the IMD and Skymet have often made differing predictions on the monsoon.
• In June 2021, the Kerala government, dissatisfied with the IMD’s performance, hired Skymet Private Limited, Earth Networks and the IBM Weather Company.
  • In order to use ensemble predictions to improve extreme weather alert services in the State.
  • The IMD was vociferous on the issue and said that multiple predictions often create unnecessary confusion.
• The members of the committee also expressed that, year after year, the IMD assesses the monsoon to be normal though the actual experience is different.
• Statistically, the monsoon may be normal in terms of the average rainfall, but most certainly the number of rainfall days had decreased.
• There have also been far more flash floods in recent times than ever before, the members pointed out.
• The committee also discussed:
  • The current monsoon forecast,
  • Deficit regions and States,
  • Urban heat islands,
  • Distribution of weather stations across districts, and
  • Matching meteorological sub-divisions with agro-climatic zones.

Question- How cyclone prediction can be improved by synergizing the inputs by IMD and private players?

Article- https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/getting-the-wind-up-over-the-weather/article35244633.ece