The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has planned to introduce UAS for research of tropical storm and cyclone genesis, reports The Times of India. These UAS would be able to enter inside the cyclonic circulation to study them, which is not possible at present.
“The project, which is the first of it’s kind in the country, will be helpful for getting a better understanding of cyclones and storms,” said S K Das, assistant meteorologist, IMD, Delhi, adding, “with the UAS, understanding and analyzing the complex weather phenomenon, such as storm and cyclones, would be a bit easier for weathermen.” According to Das, one of the specialties of the project is that cyclones and storms can be studied as and when they happen. At present, study of these weather phenomena is done from a distance.
According to IMD, the UAS are to be operated either through pre-programmed path, or controlled through a remote device. The operation capability shall be for the control of UAS for more than 150 km/min. The UAS are also likely to be used during the landfall of a tropical cyclone and expected to be capable of manoeuvring in heavy winds with a speed of around 110km/hr. The UAS have a flying capability of almost 10 hours, reaching altitudes around 5 km height and aerial cover of 500 km (min). The launching and retrieval mechanism, viz., launcher / run-path-way, etc; data communication method, operational frequency, are also available.
According to Das, information has been sought from institutions, which have undertaken similar study to understand the technology prevailing in meteorology sensor-loaded UAS for studying storms/tropical cyclones. IMD is looking for meteorological UAS for the study of tropical storm, cyclone genesis and periphery during its various stages of development. Some meteorological parameters that are to be gauged by this UAS include pressure, humidity, temperature, winds (speed and direction) and point-in-situ values on the track. Other optional parameters of relevance for meteorological study include static electricity, aerosol distribution, etc.
“The exact date when UAS will be deployed has not been finalised yet. It will depend on the response we get from institutions who are using UAS,” said Satish Bhatia, a senior scientist associated with the project adding, “The UAS will be operated by Indian scientists.” The cost component of the UAS is yet to be worked out.
As per Bhatia, countries such as US and Australia have carried out such projects in the past. In India, no one has done this project. Bhatia said in the first phase the works to study cyclones will be carried out in the Bay of Bengal region. The IMD is the nodal agency under the ministry of earth sciences (MoES) providing weather related information to the union government. As part of its modernization, the department is upgrading its observational network with state of the art technology. This project is part of the modernisation to enable better forecasting.
Source: The Times of India