Chennai will have a better ability to forecast cyclones this monsoon with the newly-repaired Doppler radar.
Story so far: The Doppler weather radar on top of the Port Trust building wasn’t working due to a snag. It has now been fixed. The meteorological department is planning to get weather data from a new Doppler radar to be installed at the IGCAR in Kalpakkam.
- The radar helps track the thickness, speed, and direction of cyclones. It helps the met department to provide accurate forecasts about landfall.
Accuracy: The new radar will hopefully have better accuracy, which is currently 79% state-wide. While the 1964 cyclone killed 1,800 people in Pampan, cyclone Vardah in 2016 with the same intensity didn’t lead to a loss of life.
Climate change: Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including cyclones. This makes accurate reporting all the more important.
(Image credits: Rasnaboy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
