IMD scouts for land to install wind profiler radars in Kerala
The India Meteorological Department is looking for land in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram under the Union government's Mission Mausam initiative.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is scouting for suitable land in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram to set up wind profiler radar systems, according to The Hindu.
This project is part of the Union government’s ‘Mission Mausam’ initiative under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which was launched in 2024 to enhance weather and climate observations.
IMD Kerala Director Neetha K. Gopal said approximately one-and-a-half acres of land will be needed in Kozhikode and one acre in Thiruvananthapuram for the equipment.
Kozhikode was identified because it receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon, while Thiruvananthapuram is the main entry point for the southwest monsoon in Kerala.
The wind profilers use radars, sound waves, or lasers to detect wind speed and direction at different elevations up to the troposphere. The radar is expected to provide data every 15 minutes.
The IMD has officially communicated to the State government to allot land and is reportedly in discussions with various universities and government departments.