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Mumbai to Get Its Second Doppler Weather Surveillance Radar in December


Mumbai to Get Its Second Doppler Weather Surveillance Radar in December
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Mumbai currently has a Doppler radar at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Colaba. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has announced on Monday that the city will get its second Doppler radar by December this year. 

Doppler radars help in providing long-range weather detection and surveillance while also offering a detailed forecast for rainfall, tropical storms, cloud covers, or any other weather conditions. 

The new installation will reportedly be a C-Band Doppler radar while the existing radar at Colaba happens to be an S-Band radar. The authorities further said that this radar will be installed at the Indian Space Research Organisation premises in the city at the request of the MoES. 

Read - Mumbai Rains: Heavy Rain, Thunderstorms Hit The City

The new Doppler radar will be capable of providing a coverage or surveillance area of around 250-350 kilometres. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Secretary of the MoES, M Rajeevan said - “The radar is being installed by the Indian Space Research Organisation on MoES’ request. This would be Mumbai’s second radar and would enhance weather predictions and long-range surveillance immensely.”

“After delay in shipments from the United States due to the pandemic, we expect four other radars to reach Mumbai early next year,” he added. The MoES is expected to add X-Band Doppler radars across the city in early 2021, offering what could likely be the largest weather network of any Indian city. X-Band radars offer coverage of around 100 kilometres and hence will need to be strategically placed so as to gather the most accurate weather data.

The city’s weather radars have played a crucial role in predicting monsoons and excessive rainfall in the city. In June, Cyclone Nisarga had a devastating impact on coastal regions of Maharashtra, including Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar, and Sindhudurg, though it narrowly escaped Mumbai city.

Also read - Maharashtra Receives 16 Per Cent Above Normal Rainfall This Monsoon
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