Mumbai News: More Accurate Rain Updates with Automatic Weather Stations, Soon

Mumbai: Following the National Centre for Coastal Research's (NCCR) recommendation, the BMC will install 60 additional automatic weather stations (AWS) at a cost of Rs2.5 crore. To begin from July, the project will be crucial in collecting information such as rainfall, temperature, humidity as well as speed and direction of wind. The collated data will be available on the civic disaster management portal and will be updated every 15 minutes. Hence, it will help citizens to plan their activities accordingly during monsoon.

60 AWS to be installed

The NCCR had recommended installation of 97 additional AWS throughout the city, to obtain an accurate local date of rainfall. However, due to cost and security issues, the civic authority decided to install just 60 AWS. 

“The company appointed for installation of AWS has identified 45 locations such as schools, residential societies, hospitals, etc, while the feasibility of another 15 locations is underway. It will take at least four months to complete the work, but we have still instructed the company to speed up and get it installed by July 31,” said a senior civic official. The contractor will set up the stations and maintain them as well as the disaster management portal for three years. 

The weather stations will be installed at a distance of every four sq km, which will update the citizens with micro-level information. The rainfall data collected through AWS will also help the BMC to send warnings to citizens besides strategically preparing and implementing disaster plans during heavy rainfall.

Currently, there are 60 AWS installed at civic ward offices or at fire brigade stations in the city. These weather stations are connected to a central server located at the Worli data centre of the BMC. The gathered information will be updated on dm.mcgm.gov.in

Pointers:

Data to be updated every 15 minutes

AWS to record info on rainfall, temp, humidity, etc

NCCR recommended to install 97 AWS

BMC decided to have 60 due to cost, security issues

AWS to come up at schools, residential societies, hospitals

45 locations identified; hunt for 15 others underway