By Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department, 3rd Vice President of the World Meteorological Organisation, India

I congratulate Southasiadisasters.net on completing 20 years of continuous publication, which has played a pivotal role in fostering dialogue, connecting disaster managers, and strengthening resilience across South Asia.

South Asia is highly vulnerable to various meteorological hazards, including flooding, inundation, strong winds, storm surges, and landslides, due to tropical cyclones (TCs), the southwest monsoon, thunderstorms, and western disturbances. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) plays a pivotal role in providing early warnings for these severe weather events to minimise death and damage in the region.

As the WMO recognised Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) for Tropical Cyclones, New Delhi (RSMC New Delhi), IMD provides regular tropical cyclone advisories to 13 member countries of World Meteorologiacal Organisation/ Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific (WMO/ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) including Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. These advisories include forecasts of cyclone genesis, track, intensity, landfall, and associated storm surge, wind, and rainfall. Additionally, IMD conducts annual training for cyclone forecasters in the region to enhance their capacity.

It also serves as one of seven Tropical Cyclone Advisory Centres (TCACs) worldwide, providing cyclone advisories to countries in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East for civil aviation, in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines.

As one among the 16 International Maritime Organisation (IMO) recognised centres, IMD provides advisories for the safety of the international shipping community for Met Area VIII(N) covering the NIO region under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

IMD also acts as Regional Centre for Severe Weather Forecast for South Asia and provides daily guidance for heavy rain, strong winds, high waves, cyclonic disturbances and storm surge to 9 countries in South Asia including Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan to support the National Meteorological Centres (NMCs) in preparing severe weather guidance for their respective countries.

IMD also serves as the Regional Centre for Flash Flood Guidance (SA-FFG) for South Asia, including Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. This centre provides real-time guidance on flash flood risk and threat at the sub-catchment scale.

IMD also supports the region by sharing meteorological observations, satellite radar and numerical weather prediction model products through the website. As a WMO-designated Regional Meteorological Training Centre (RMTC) and Regional Climate Centre (RCC), IMD contributes significantly to building regional capacity through training and seasonal outlooks under the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF).

I wish Southasiadisasters.net all success in future.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.