Doppler Radar cac forcast rain, thunderstorm and hailstorm within a 100-kilometre radius

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Dr Jitendra Singh today virtually inaugurated the two Doppler Weather Radars in the state.

These Doppler Weather Radars have been established at Jot in the Chamba district and another at Murari Devi in the Mandi district of the State.

Radars will be able to forecast heavy rain, thunderstorm and hailstorm within a 100-kilometre radius in all directions, especially for short-range forecasting.

Doppler Radars will be helpful to improve area-specific forecasts and warnings for the State. They will also enhance weather monitoring capabilities and generate accurate data that will help the administration in making pre-arrangements to reduce damages caused due to weather-borne disasters.

One Doppler Weather Radar has already been installed at Kufri in Shimla and with the commissioning of these additional two radars, about 70 per cent of the area of the State will be covered for the weather forecast.

Himachal Chief Minister demands the Union Minister of State to provide additional Radar for border districts so that these tribal districts could also be covered. “Cloud bursts have caused heavy damages in Kinnaur district in recent years, thus it was vital that a proper weather forecast mechanism be evolved to take preventive measures in advance,” CM Sukhu said.