To minimise the impact of natural disasters on life and property, the Uttar Pradesh government will install four Doppler radars in the state.
The UP relief commissioner’s office has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to this effect.
Doppler weather radars are remote sensing instruments, capable of detecting particle type (rain, snow, hail, insects etc), intensity, and motion. Radar data can be used to determine the structure of storms and to help with predicting severity of storms.
Such radars use the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by bouncing a microwave signal off a desired target and analysing how the object’s motion has altered the frequency of the returned signal.
The MoU is aimed at providing accurate information about upcoming natural disasters, enabling the UP government to issue timely alerts and facilitate effective disaster management.
UP revenue principal secretary P Guru Prasad said the Doppler radars will be installed in the disaster-prone districts.
UP relief commissioner G S Naveen said the state until now had only one Doppler radar, and with the installation of four more, the total count will reach five.
IMD director general Mritunjay Mahapatra emphasised, given UP’s expansive size and susceptibility to heavy rainfall, lightning, hailstorms, and hurricanes, the deployment of four Doppler radars will be instrumental in managing such situations effectively.
The Doppler radars will provide real-time information on rainfall, cloud movement, thunder, and lightning. They provide accurate information about weather changes within a surrounding area of 400 km.