AI in weather forecasting? IMD says not quite there yet

Pilot projects show promise but also reveal gaps, especially in predicting how intense storms and rainfall will be

- SANJEEB MUKHERJEE

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which is looking to actively integrate artificial intelligence (AI) models into weather forecasting, has launched small pilot programmes but remains cautious about their accuracy across all aspects of forecasting, IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences, which oversees IMD, has constituted a high-powered panel of experts drawn from IMD, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, and other agencies to deliberate on the use of Al in forecast modelling.

Internally, IMD has also formed a panel to work on Al-driven forecasting and explore broader applications of AI.

Meanwhile, the department is using AI to develop a ChatGPT-like communication tool, and the multilingual weather forecasting app Bhashini already employs AI to translate forecasts into regional languages.