Forecasts to turn accurate with Karaikal doppler radar

 

It is currently deployed to keep a tight vigil on ‘active’ north-east monsoon that is pounding the state. Plans are also afloat to install a weather radar in Ramanathapuram district. 

Ministry of Defence (MoD), especially Indian Navy, had earlier raised concerns over installing Chinese radars in coastal areas having strategic importance citing security reasons. However, the meteorological department, which comes under ministry of earth sciences, had its way. 

 

S.B. Thampi, a renowned radar expert and deputy director-general, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, confirmed to DC that the Karaikal radar was working and already proved to be accurate in forecasting the exact landfall of a system that hit the Tamil Nadu coast earlier this month.

 

However, its data is currently available only with the meteorological department  and it will be added to official radar-network after MoD inspects the facility to rule out any spyware threat. “MoD has initially objected to installation of Chinese radar, but later permitted the IMD to install it provided it is tested by defense experts before putting it in public domain”, he said.

 

P.S. Biju, director, Cyclone Detection Centre (CDC), Karaikal, said it was state-of-the-art radar designed by U-based defense contractor, Lockheed Martin Corp, and built-in with a software developed by a Finland firm and manufactured by Beijing Metstar Radar Co. Ltd or Metstar, a firm in China.

 

Currently, Tamil Nadu has only one DWR, which is 10-year-old and German-made, located in Chennai. It is considered to be one of the best in the world. However, any DWR has accuracy up to 250 km of radius, which means Chennai radar can detect weather systems only up to Karaikal. “Now with Karaikal radar fully working, IMD is capable of pinpointing the eye of any storm approaching till Thoothukudi district. Radar in Karaikal gains immense importance because of its close proximity to Nagapattinam, a highly cyclone-prone district in Tamil Nadu.  During 2004 Tsunami, 6,000 people were killed in Nagapattinam alone. One more DWR in Ramanathapuram is all that it is required to cover the entire coast of Tamil Nadu”, Biju said and added that Karaikal radar was installed at a cost of Rs 15 crore.