Maharashtra Becomes First State To Integrate BharatFS Weather Forecasting System For Advanced Disaster Preparedness

Mumbai, May 21: In a step ahead in disaster preparedness, Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to integrate Bharat Forecast System (BharatFS), an indigenous advanced weather forecasting model, marking a paradigm shift towards enhancing situational awareness through geospatial decision-making.

The Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, to strengthen the state’s ability to prepare for and respond to extreme weather-related disasters.

This partnership brings advanced weather forecasts directly into the government’s decision-making systems. BharatFS — an indigenous forecasting tool developed by the Government of India under the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Mission Mausam — will now be utilised within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) through its Geospatial Decision Support System (GeoDSS) for effective disaster management.

Advanced forecasting and early warnings

The significant gain from this collaboration is access to high-resolution weather data and timely forecast information for enabling anticipatory action.

The key benefits of this initiative include: three-hourly high-resolution weather forecasts enabling timely and targeted early warnings for citizens; integration with risk analytics for impact-based forecasting (IBF); automation of trigger-based alerts and other workflows for various hydrometeorological hazards; integration with the CAP-Sachet platform enabling alert dissemination simultaneously through multiple channels such as sirens, mobile messages, and public broadcasts; better prediction of extreme weather events, improving preparedness for floods, thunderstorms and landslides; and stronger systems to ensure warnings reach the last mile — right down to vulnerable families and individuals.

Girish Mahajan, Minister for Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation, said, “This partnership marks an important step towards strengthening disaster preparedness systems in Maharashtra. The integration of BharatFS into the state’s disaster management framework will help improve timely early warnings, local-level preparedness, and coordinated response during extreme weather events, especially during the ongoing heatwave and upcoming monsoon season.”

Vinita Vaid Singal, Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation Department, said, “The integration of BharatFS with Maharashtra’s GeoDSS platform will strengthen real-time situational awareness and support faster, more informed decision-making at the state and district levels. This initiative will further enhance preparedness, coordination, and last-mile dissemination of weather-related early warnings.”

Real-time weather monitoring

Information on weather parameters including rainfall, maximum and minimum temperatures, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction and cloud cover is updated every three hours, enabling near real-time forecast availability and improving overall situational awareness of weather events.

Meanwhile, the authorities have urged citizens to stay informed through official SDMA Maharashtra communication channels for verified updates, preparedness advisories, and real-time early warning information.

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