Lucknow: Weather forecasts and warnings are set to become more precise and timely across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and adjoining regions with the upgradation of the Lucknow Meteorological Centre into a Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC).With the upgrade, the Lucknow centre will become the country’s eighth RMC, joining the existing centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Nagpur, Guwahati and Jammu.The formal announcement is expected on Monday at a programme at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in the presence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Union minister of state (Independent Charge) for earth sciences Jitendra Singh. The proposal was already approved by the ministry of earth sciences and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).Once upgraded, the Lucknow centre’s jurisdiction will extend to both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The move aims to strengthen weather monitoring, forecasting and early warning systems, particularly for heatwaves, thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rainfall, dense fog and other severe weather events.Officials said the new status would enable quicker processing and dissemination of weather data, improve the accuracy of short-term and nowcast forecasts, and facilitate the more efficient issuance of location-specific warnings. It will also enhance monitoring of weather conditions across the densely populated Gangetic plains and the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand.At present, several forecasting and coordination functions are handled through regional centres located elsewhere. The upgraded facility in Lucknow will have greater operational autonomy and enhanced technical infrastructure, helping provide faster and more reliable weather information to disaster management agencies, farmers, aviation services and the public.
