India's Climate Compass

Teachers play a particularly important role in this effort. As educators and mentors, they have the unique opportunity to shape the understanding, attitudes, and actions of future generations. Strengthening teachers' knowledge of weather, climate, climate services, and climate change can therefore contribute significantly to building climate-resilient communities. This article is based on a lecture note prepared for a session on “Climate Services, Community Awareness and the Role of Teachers” delivered during the 1st Training on Weather, Environment and Climate in School Education (WISE) for school teachers held at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Pune. The enthusiastic participation and insightful interactions with the teachers during the programme highlighted the importance of integrating climate education into school curricula and fostering a culture of environmental stewardship. The lecture note provides a simple introduction to climate change, its impacts, climate ser...

Introduction Heatwaves are among the most significant weather-related hazards affecting India. They pose serious risks to human health, agriculture, water resources, energy demand, and infrastructure. The impacts are particularly severe in densely populated urban areas, among outdoor workers, elderly people, children, and vulnerable communities. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, serves as the national authority for monitoring, forecasting, and issuing warnings related to heatwave conditions across the country. Through its extensive observational network, numerical weather prediction systems, and impact-based forecasting framework, IMD provides timely early warnings that support preparedness and response actions by disaster management agencies, health authorities, and other stakeholders. This article provides an overview of heatwave definitions, monitoring methodologies, forecasting systems, and operational heatwave products issued by IMD. ...

Climate information is increasingly becoming an essential component of agricultural planning and risk management. Advances in observations, forecasting systems, remote sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have significantly enhanced our ability to monitor, predict, and communicate weather and climate risks relevant to agriculture. However, the true value of climate information lies not only in its scientific accuracy but also in its effective translation into actionable insights for farmers, extension agencies, researchers, and policy makers. This lecture note is based on my invited lecture titled “Climate Applications and User Interface Approaches in Agricultural Meteorology” delivered during the National Training Programme on Application of Remote Sensing and GIS in Agricultural Meteorology organized by the Centre for Advanced Faculty Training (CAFT) in Agricultural Meteorology, College of Agriculture, Pune. The lecture focused on how climate information can be transfo...

प्रस्तावना जलवायु परिवर्तन के दौर में बाढ़, सूखा, चक्रवात, लू और अन्य चरम मौसमीय घटनाओं की बढ़ती आवृत्ति हमें समय पर और प्रभावी चेतावनी प्रणालियों की आवश्यकता का एहसास कराती है। विश्व मौसम विज्ञान संगठन द्वारा दिए गए “Early Warnings for All” के आह्वान के अनुरूप, यह लेख मौसम की अग्रिम चेतावनी सेवाओं के महत्व, भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग की भूमिका तथा समाज के अंतिम व्यक्ति तक समय पर चेतावनी पहुँचाने के प्रयासों पर प्रकाश डालता है। आशा है कि यह लेख पाठकों को मौसम चेतावनी सेवाओं की उपयोगिता और उनके सामाजिक महत्व को समझने में सहायक होगा। मूल लेख हर साल 23 मार्च को " विश्व मौसम विज्ञान दिवस " के रूप में मनाया जाता है , ताकि 1950 में स्थापित विश्व मौसम विज्ञान संगठन (वर्ल्ड मेट्रोलॉजिकल ऑर्गनाइजेशन : WMO) की स्थापना को याद किया जा सके। वर्ष 2025 के लिए इस दिन का विषय था – “ हम सब मिलकर करें अग्रिम चेतावनी अंतर को समाप्त ” । यह विषय इस बात को दर्शाता है कि पूरी दुनिया मिलकर यह सुनिश्चित करना चाहती है कि पृथ्वी का हर व्यक्ति ऐसी चे...