Jalpaiguri, May 12 -- Powerful weather radars are set to be installed across north Bengal to strengthen early forecasting systems for cyclones, thunderstorms, lightning strikes and other natural disasters affecting both the hills and plains of the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) plans to install three advanced weather radars in North Bengal - including a high-powered radar with a 250-km coverage range in Malda district and two additional radars with coverage capacities ranging from 50 km to 100 km in Jalpaiguri district and Sikkim.
Land adjacent to the Agriculture Department office in Malda has already been acquired and infrastructure development work for the radar station has begun. The installation of the high-powered radar is expected to be completed by November this year.
The information was shared on Tuesday by Gopinath Raha, Director of the Sikkim Meteorological Department and spokesperson for north Bengal weather operations, during a pre-monsoon preparedness meeting held at the Irrigation Department building in Jalpaiguri town.
Raha said natural disasters have been increasing steadily across the sub-Himalayan regions of north Bengal, including Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the adjoining plains districts. Heavy rainfall in Sikkim has recently started affecting rivers in the plains, while incidents such as cloudbursts, glacial lake-related disasters, cyclones and tornadoes - including the devastating Maynaguri tornado - are becoming more frequent.
"Large-scale cloudbursts are also occurring across North-east India. Considering the changing weather pattern, the Meteorological Department has planned to install several powerful radars across Assam, Sikkim and West Bengal to provide early warnings for major natural disasters," Raha said.
He further said that specialised lightning forecasting instruments, known as "Nowcast" systems, will also be installed in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur, Malda, South Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts to provide advanced forecasts two to three hours before severe weather events.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.