200 New Automatic Weather Stations for Four Cities
Why in the news
To sharpen city-level weather observation, the Earth Sciences ministry announced a fresh set of automatic stations during the IMD foundation day.
Key facts
- Announced on 15 January 2026 by Union MoS (IC) Dr Jitendra Singh.
- Total: 200 AWS, 50 each in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune.
- Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES); programme: Mission Mausam Phase II.
- Occasion: 151st Foundation Day of IMD at Mausam Bhawan.
| City | AWS allotted |
|---|---|
| Delhi | 50 |
| Mumbai | 50 |
| Chennai | 50 |
| Pune | 50 |
| Total | 200 |
Objective
- Produce high-resolution, granular urban weather data.
- Better forecasts of sudden downpours, thunderstorms, extreme heat and rapid pressure changes.
Facilities inaugurated at IMD
- Model Observatory.
- 3D-Printed Automatic Weather Station.
- Agro-AWS.
Exam angle
- Mission: Mission Mausam – Phase II; nodal ministry: MoES.
- Also inaugurated at IMD: Model Observatory, 3D-Printed AWS and Agro-AWS.
- IMD’s 151st foundation day marked this announcement.