SkyCast Aviation Weather System Debuts at Delhi’s IGI Airport
Why in the news
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh switched on SkyCast at Delhi’s IGI Airport, a first for the country. It pools several live atmospheric readings into one aviation-weather tool for safer flight operations.
Key facts
- SkyCast: next-generation remote sensing set-up that tracks fog, aerosols, turbulence, moisture and visibility together.
- Location: Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
- Programme: built under Mission Mausam of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
- Vertical coverage: roughly 3 km, covering boundary layer, wind, turbulence, temperature and humidity.
- Nowcast window: precise alerts for the coming 3 hours, the most important span for flight planning.
Objectives
- Move towards fog-free, weather-smart flying.
- Cut delays, cancellations and diversions caused by bad weather.
- Improve safety during take-off and landing, the phases most sensitive to weather.
Instruments inside SkyCast
| Instrument | Role |
|---|---|
| Radar Wind Profiler | Wind speed, wind direction and up-and-down air movement in the lower atmosphere |
| SODAR (Sound Detection and Ranging) | Sound waves used to read wind, turbulence and boundary-layer behaviour |
| Microwave Radiometer | Vertical temperature and humidity profiles |
| GFAS (Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer) | Fog droplet size and how aerosols interact with fog |
| CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer | Laser pulses map the vertical structure and density of fog and cloud |
GFAS matters for Delhi because winter fog there is laced with heavy pollution and aerosols, so tracking droplet-aerosol interaction helps forecast that mixed condition.
About Mission Mausam
- Flagship MoES programme cleared in September 2024 to make India weather-ready and climate-smart.
- Plans a top-class observation network of radars, wind profilers, balloons, ocean buoys and satellites.
- Uses advanced numerical models plus AI/ML tools for hyperlocal, sector-wise forecasts for agriculture, aviation, disaster management, urban planning, water resources and public health.
- Targets fog, thunderstorms, heatwaves, cold waves and extreme rainfall.
- Implementing bodies: IMD, IITM Pune, NCMRWF and other MoES institutions. SkyCast is among its first major operational outputs.
Why the boundary layer matters
- The Atmospheric (Planetary) Boundary Layer is the lowest slice of air, from the surface to about 1-3 km depending on time, weather and place.
- Fog, low cloud, wind shear and turbulence occur here, and aircraft take off and land entirely inside it.
- PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and SO2 mix within it; in winter it turns shallow and traps pollutants near the ground, worsening Delhi’s smog.
Exam angle
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences, under Mission Mausam.
- Remember the instrument list and what each one measures.
- Numbers to recall: 3 km height, 3-hour nowcast, Mission Mausam approved September 2024.