Pariksha SaathiIMD Opens Interactive Cyclone and Marine Weather Decision Support System to the Public
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched a public Decision Support System (DSS) for cyclone warnings and marine weather on 12 October 2026. The interactive, WebGIS-based tool brings cyclone and marine information into one place, with maps showing a storm's observed and forecast track and intensity, the cone of uncertainty, wind distribution, district-level rainfall warnings, storm surge, and rainfall forecasts for river catchments. It is aimed at disaster managers, government agencies and ordinary citizens, and can be reached through the IMD website and the website of the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC), New Delhi. The launch came at IMD's twice-yearly Pre-Cyclone Exercise Meeting, held since 2008, this time to prepare for the October-December post-monsoon season. It was chaired by Director General of Meteorology Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, who is also the third Vice President of the World Meteorological Organisation. Around 230 participants from more than 30 organisations, including NDMA, NDRF, the armed forces, the Coast Guard and coastal states, took part. The date carried symbolic weight: cyclones Phailin (2013) and Hudhud (2014), both forecast accurately by IMD, crossed the coast on 12 October.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
IMD’s Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) in New Delhi was designated for tropical cyclones with effect from 1 July 1988, under the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones framework. It keeps round-the-clock watch over the North Indian Ocean and issues cyclone advisories to Panel member countries — including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Oman and Thailand — making IMD one of only six WMO-recognised RSMCs for tropical cyclones worldwide.
Reference: RSMC New Delhi’s official website
Check yourself: does IMD issue cyclone warnings only for India?
No — as the WMO/ESCAP Panel’s designated RSMC since 1988, IMD issues tropical cyclone advisories for the whole North Indian Ocean region, covering several Panel member countries besides India.
Revision task: separate the new public-facing tool launched today (the interactive decision support system) from IMD’s standing international mandate as RSMC described above.
Test yourself
The interactive WebGIS-based Decision Support System launched by IMD on 12 October 2026 brings together information on what?
Show the answer
Answer: Cyclone warnings and marine weather
The system shows observed and forecast cyclone tracks and intensity, the cone of uncertainty, district rainfall warnings, storm surge and river-catchment rainfall forecasts; it was launched at IMD's Pre-Cyclone Exercise Meeting, held twice a year since 2008.
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