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| National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (India) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting |
| Established | 1988 |
| Type | Research centre |
| City | Noida |
| Province | Uttar Pradesh |
| Country | India |
National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (India) is an Indian autonomous research institute specializing in numerical weather prediction and medium-range forecasting. It operates as a component of national meteorological infrastructure, providing deterministic and probabilistic forecasts, model development, and advisory services to sectors such as Ministry of Earth Sciences (India), India Meteorological Department, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. The centre integrates atmospheric science, computational modelling, and observational networks to produce operational products for stakeholders including Central Water Commission, Indian Railways, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (India), and disaster management agencies.
The centre was established in 1988 following policy initiatives by the Government of India and scientific recommendations from bodies including the Indian National Science Academy, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Planning Commission (India). Its creation drew upon earlier programmes such as the Weather Research Programme (India), collaborations with National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and technical assistance from United Nations Development Programme. Landmark events influencing its foundation include national responses to cyclones that affected Bay of Bengal coastal states and major floods in the Ganges Delta and Brahmaputra Valley where operational medium-range guidance was identified as critical.
The centre functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (India) and coordinates with the India Meteorological Department and research institutions such as the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, National Remote Sensing Centre, and Indian Institute of Science. Governance structures include a directorate reporting to ministry-appointed advisory panels and scientific steering committees comprising members from Indian Space Research Organisation, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and academic partners like Jawaharlal Nehru University and IIT Delhi. Financial oversight involves central budgetary processes connected to the Union Budget of India and policy review by the Cabinet Secretariat (India).
The centre's mandate encompasses operational medium-range numerical weather prediction, model development for seasonal to sub-seasonal forecasting, and provision of tailored advisories to stakeholders such as Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (India), Central Water Commission, National Disaster Management Authority (India), and maritime users including Shipping Corporation of India. It issues operational bulletins, severe weather warnings, and climate guidance aligning with national priorities set by the Ministry of Home Affairs (India) and integrates requirements from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force for aviation and naval operations.
Operational systems include global and regional numerical models developed in-house and adapted from international frameworks like the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System, Global Forecast System, and community models such as the WRF Model and Community Earth System Model. The centre develops deterministic and ensemble predictions using data assimilation techniques such as four-dimensional variational assimilation and ensemble Kalman filter methodologies pioneered in collaborations with Met Office (United Kingdom), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Japan Meteorological Agency. High-performance computing resources mirror configurations used at institutions like Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques and employ architectures akin to those at National Supercomputing Mission (India) nodes.
R&D programs address model physics, parameterization of convection, land-surface interaction, ocean–atmosphere coupling, and aerosol–cloud interactions, in partnership with academic centres including IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, and Indian Statistical Institute. Projects have been co-funded by agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology (India), Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and international collaborators including World Meteorological Organization and International Research Institute for Climate and Society. Outputs include peer-reviewed studies in journals associated with American Meteorological Society and participation in coordinated experiments like the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project.
The centre ingests observations from surface synoptic stations, radiosondes, Doppler weather radars, scatterometers aboard satellites such as INSAT platforms and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle payloads, and in situ networks operated by Central Water Commission and Indian Space Research Organisation. It integrates data from international observing systems including the Global Observing System, Argos (satellite system), and the International GNSS Service. Data assimilation leverages remote sensing products from missions like IRS (satellite series), Meteosat, and GPM (satellite) as well as oceanographic inputs from Argo (oceanography) floats.
Operational outputs support disaster risk reduction agencies such as the National Disaster Management Authority (India) and state disaster response forces, maritime advisories for the Indian Coast Guard, and sectoral services for Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (India), Ministry of Shipping (India), and energy utilities. Products include medium-range weather bulletins, probabilistic rainfall forecasts, wind and wave forecasts for ports like Mumbai Port Trust and Kolkata Port Trust, and tailored briefings for aviation stakeholders represented by Air India and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India).
The centre engages in bilateral and multilateral collaborations with agencies such as ECMWF, NOAA, JMA, and regional partners within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and participates in initiatives led by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. It contributes to capacity building through training with universities like University of Reading and research exchanges with institutions including Met Office (United Kingdom) and National Centre for Atmospheric Research. The centre represents India in international forecasting forums and contributes data and expertise to global projects such as the Global Framework for Climate Services.
Category:Research institutes in India Category:Meteorological organisations