Radar Network

RADAR Network

S-Band Cyclone Detection Radar Network

· India Meteorological Department adopted radar technology for meteorological applications in the early 50s. The first indigenously designed and manufactured x-band storm detection radar was installed in 1970 at New Delhi.

· An integrated upper air sounding system comprising X - Band weather cum wind finding Multimet radar and radiosonde system (401 mhz ), designed and produced indigenously, was introduced in 1975 in IMD at Bangalore.

· The first S - Band cyclone detection radar became operational at Visakhapatnam in 1970. the first indigenous S - Band cyclone detection radar was commissioned in Mumbai in 1980.

· IMD now has a network of 10 S - Band cyclone detection radars covering the Indian Coast line. Six numbers in the East Coast and four numbers in West Coast.

· IMD’s network of X - Band radars consists of 29 radars comprising of 12 Storm Detection Radars (SDRs) and 17 Dual Purpose (Weather cum wind finding) radar.

· IMD plans to replace all the existing old generation radars with state-of-art S - Band DWRs in a phased manner.

· IMD has already installed 4 nos. S - Band imported DWRs at Chennai(2002), Kolkata(2003), Machilipatnam (2004) & Visakhapatnam(2006) replacing the old generation S - Band cyclone detection radars at these places.

· IMD has also installed one indigenous Doppler Weather Radar at Sriharikota (AP) in 2004, it was developed under MoU with ISRO Bangalore.

· India Meteorological Department has a plan to install 2 more indigenous S - Band DWRs at Bhuj and Kochi to be developed by M/s BEL, Bangalore.

· UNDER FIRST PHASE OF MODERNISATION, IMD also has a plan to replace old S – Band Cyclone detection Radar by S – Band Doppler Weather Radar at 12 LOCATIONS NAMELY Mumbai, Paradip, NAGPUR, PATNA, LUCKNOW, PATIALA, KARAIKAL, BHOPal, agartala, mohanbari, delhi and goa.