SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a focus area in the Centre’s push to modernise weather forecasting and disaster early warning systems, with three Doppler Weather Radars already operational in the Union Territory and advanced artificial intelligence based forecasting tools being deployed to sharpen district level predictions, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Jammu and Kashmir currently hosts X band Doppler Weather Radars at Banihal Top, Jammu and Srinagar, placing the Himalayan region among strategically monitored zones under the government’s flagship Mission Mausam. These radars are part of a nationwide network of 47 operational Doppler Weather Radars, now covering about 87 percent of India’s geographical area, aimed at improving monitoring of extreme rainfall, snowfall, cloudbursts and landslides — hazards to which Jammu and Kashmir is particularly vulnerable.
The ministry told the Lok Sabha that weather forecasting capability has been significantly strengthened through the multi scale Mithuna Forecast System suite, which reduces biases in rainfall, temperature and fog visibility forecasts. Coupled with artificial intelligence and machine learning based post processing, the system delivers sharper medium range forecasts, improved nowcasting and more reliable district scale probabilities for extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, heatwaves, fog, thunderstorms and air quality deterioration.
To institutionalise the use of AI in weather prediction, the government has set up a dedicated virtual centre under Mission Mausam, bringing together the India Meteorological Department, the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting and other research institutes. This centre coordinates AI and machine learning tools for bias correction, statistical post processing, downscaling and multi source data fusion using inputs from radars, satellites and automatic weather stations.
The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting is also experimentally running global AI weather models such as Pangu Weather, FourCastNet and GraphCast on the Arunika supercomputer, fine tuning them for Indian conditions at around 25 kilometre resolution. These data driven models run alongside conventional numerical weather prediction systems, enabling rapid generation of hyperlocal forecasts for sectors including agriculture, urban management and disaster risk reduction — areas of high relevance for Jammu and Kashmir’s fragile terrain and dispersed rural population.
Satellite and radar based monitoring has expanded sharply in recent years. The ministry said INSAT 3D now provides cloud imagery, water vapour and wind related products every 30 minutes at resolutions of up to one kilometre, significantly enhancing real time situational awareness during fast evolving weather events in mountainous regions.
The government also highlighted improvements in forecast dissemination. Weather alerts and warnings are now issued through multiple platforms including mass media, email, the IMD website, mobile applications such as Mausam, Meghdoot, Damini and Rain Alarm, and the UMANG app, where seven IMD services are available to the public. A real time Decision Support System based multi hazard impact early warning system integrates historical data, real time observations and model outputs to generate district and city level impact based advisories. The ministry claimed that, as a result of these initiatives, forecasting skill for severe weather events has improved by 30 to 40 percent over the past decade.
For the farming community, the Meghdoot mobile application — which delivers agrometeorological advisories — has seen steady growth, with registered users rising from about 2.36 lakh until 2021 to over 4.16 lakh by November 28, 2025. The app now covers nearly 700 agriculturally important districts and about 7,000 blocks, offering multilingual advisories and real time warnings, including in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said more Doppler Weather Radars will be installed in coming years to plug coverage gaps, add redundancy and replace ageing systems under Mission Mausam. For Jammu and Kashmir, where extreme weather events increasingly intersect with climate variability and disaster risk, the combination of dense radar coverage and AI driven forecasting is being projected as a crucial step towards more timely warnings, reduced loss of life and better preparedness at the district level.
