The vagaries of South-West monsoon in the country may get more predictable with weather experts from UK and India joining hands to improve forecast by using atmospheric research aircraft and ocean gliders to gather fresh data in the region.
According to Met scientists, the initiative will improve understanding of the physical processes of the South Asian monsoon and their improved representation in weather and climate models. The data collected will be more detailed and accurate than ever before. The research will begin in 2015 and is expected to last between three-five years. Each project will be led by one British and one Indian researcher.
The British team will be headed by Hugh Coe (University of Manchester), Andy Turner (University of Reading) and Adrian Matthews (University of East Anglia). Their Indian counterparts are S. Suresh Babu (Indian Space Research Organisation), GS Bhat and PN Vinayachandran (both from Indian Institute of Science)
The South Asian Monsoon research programme will receive combined funding of around 8 million pound from the Natural Environment Research Council UK, Ministry of Earth Sciences and the UK Met Office.
Monsoon is very important in determining livelihood patterns in the country. It is also a very important part of the global climate system. “This major new UK-India research initiative on the monsoon is a great example of how both the countries can work together to tackle global challenges,” said the experts.
According to India Meterological Department (IMD), Northwest may get little relief from the persisting humidity and heat following drop in temperature by 2-3 degrees C accompanied by stray rainfall during the next three days. However, heavy to very rainfall has been forecast in the South including coastal Andhra, Karnataka, Konkan and Goa. Between August 31 to September 4, heavy showers are also expected in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Odisha.