Act early to cope with heat

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has been elected the third vice president of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

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India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has been elected the third vice president of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). He was also awarded the United Nations Sasakawa Award 2025 for disaster risk reduction.

Mohapatra, who hails from Bhadrak in Odisha, took over the reins of IMD in 2019. In his illustrious career spanning over three decades, he has received many awards and recognitions, including the Bharat Gaurav Award-2019, Satyasai Samman-2019, Bhumiputra Samman-2020, and Vyasagourab Samman-2022.

In an exclusive interview with Deepshikha Verma of The Statesman, the meteorologist talked about the heat wave conditions in the national capital and other weather-related issues.

Q. As IMD marks 150 years since its inception, what does the road ahead look like for the institution?

A. The India Meteorological Department was established in 1875 with the primary goal of minimizing the loss of life and property caused by natural disasters. At the time, severe floods, droughts, and deadly cyclones raised urgent concerns, prompting the government to set up the IMD. The department's first major initiative was issuing cyclone warnings, followed by monsoon forecasting as a measure to provide timely alerts.

Monsoon forecasting began in 1886 with the release of the first long-range rainfall prediction. Since then, IMD has steadily expanded its capabilities and services with the growth of its observational network. During World War II, the demand for upper-air meteorological data increased significantly to ensure safe flight during that period, which further advanced IMD's role in weather services.