**Executive Summary**
On May 1, 2026, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) inaugurated the Open-Field Observatory of the Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART) at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. Established by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under the "Mission Mausam" initiative, this facility aims to enhance meteorological observational networks and model predictions. The project establishes a long-term scientific collaboration between IITM and Andhra University to monitor severe weather and improve early warning systems.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Institutional Collaboration and Infrastructure**
* The C-ART is a joint effort between the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and Andhra University (AU).
* AU has allocated land on its campus specifically for the open-field meteorological observatory to enable continuous research.
* The facility serves as a "national user facility" designed to support research observations and long-term scientific cooperation.
**Technological and Research Objectives**
* The initiative is part of "Mission Mausam," which focuses on improving spatial and temporal observational capabilities for all weather conditions.
* The testbed provides process-level diagnostics of monsoon convection and supports data assimilation experiments to enhance forecast skills.
* The facility aims to improve parameterization schemes in numerical weather prediction models and evaluate forecast models.
**Instrumentation and Observations**
* **Current Phase:** Equipment already installed includes a meteorological balloon, impact disdrometers, 2-dimensional video disdrometers (2DVD), 3D-printed Automatic Weather Stations (3D-PAWS), conventional AWS, and an eddy covariance tower.
* **Initial Data:** These instruments have already recorded measurements from the first thundershowers in Visakhapatnam, monitoring drop size distributions, rain microphysics, and turbulence fluxes.
* **Future Phase:** Planned installations include scanning wind lidar, polarimetric cloud and precipitation Doppler radars, phase array radars, and proton transfer reaction mass spectrometers to improve accuracy in predicting extreme events.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) / IITM**
**Impact**
The facility advances the Ministry's "Mission Mausam" goals by enhancing the national observational network and improving the accuracy of numerical weather models.
**Action Required**
Continue the implementation of state-of-the-art remote sensing and profiling instruments as part of the project's upcoming phases.
**Andhra University (AU)**
**Impact**
The university becomes a central hub for coastal atmospheric research, fostering long-term collaboration with national institutes and providing staff/students access to advanced meteorological data.
**Action Required**
Maintain the allocated land and support the Department of Meteorology and Oceanography in its integrated observation and research activities.
**National Scientific Community**
**Impact**
Researchers gain access to a national facility for process-level diagnostics, model evaluation, and data assimilation experiments.
**Action Required**
Utilize the high-resolution data provided by the testbed to improve understanding of atmospheric processes and weather representation in numerical models.
**Disaster Management Agencies**
**Impact**
The improved prediction of cyclones and extreme weather events provides more reliable data for early warning systems.
**Action Required**
Integrate the enhanced forecast data and early warnings generated through C-ART research into disaster preparedness and response strategies.
Key Entities Referenced
Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART): A national user facility established to provide high-resolution research observations for improving monsoon convection diagnostics, weather prediction models, and early warning systems.
Mission Mausam: A national initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences aimed at enhancing the observational network and model prediction to monitor and predict severe weather conditions.
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES): The primary central government ministry responsible for Earth system sciences and the governing body overseeing the Mission Mausam initiative and C-ART facility.
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM): An autonomous institute under MoES that established the C-ART facility to conduct advanced meteorological research and improve numerical weather models.
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam: The host institution that allocated land and provides academic collaboration for the establishment and operation of the open-field meteorological observatory.
Ministry of Earth Sciences
Inauguration of Open-Field Observatory of
Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART),
at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
Posted On: 01 MAY 2026 4:46PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth
Sciences, Government of India has established a Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART) at
Andhra University (AU) in Visakhapatnam. Andhra University has allocated land on its campus for
setting up an open-field meteorological observatory, enabling continuous and integrated observations and
research collaborations.
The Open-Field Observatory of Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART) was inaugurated on 1st
May 2026 by Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences in the august presence of
Hon’ble Vice chancellor Prof. G.P. Raja Sekhar, and Dr. Suryachandra Rao, Director, IITM, marking a
significant milestone under the Mission Mausam initiative of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) aimed at
enhancing observational network and model prediction.
The function started with welcoming the chief guest, Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary MoES, guest of
honour, Prof. G. P. Raja Sekhar, Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, Dr. A. Suryachandra Rao, Director
IITM, Prof. CV Naidu, Head Dept. of Meteorology & Oceanography, AU, Prof. MVR Raju, Principal AU,
and Dr. B. Padma Kumari, Project Director, IITM.
Dr. A. Suryachandra Rao, Director of IITM, delivered the welcome address highlighting IITM's research
activities and the strategic importance of establishing the Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed in
Visakhapatnam on the east coast. He briefed about the first phase of instrumentation set up at Department
of Meteorology and Oceanography, AU and the upcoming state-of-art remote sensing, profiling and in-situ
instruments as part of coastal research testbed.
Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary MoES, and other dignitaries released a brochure on "Coastal Atmospheric
Research Testbed". The brochure outlines research objectives, implementation strategy, institutional
collaboration, advanced meteorological instruments, and regional impact. He also released a short movie
on “Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed" in Visakhapatnam.
Prof. G. P. Raja Sekhar, the honourable VC AU, delivered the inaugural speech. He emphasized how AU
and IITM's joint efforts were crucial to the establishment of this research testbed facility in
Visakhapatnam. This facility marks a significant milestone in fostering long-term scientific collaboration
between IITM and AU.
The Hon. Secretary M. Ravichandran emphasized the MoES plans and initiatives to improve current
observational capability (including spatial and temporal) under Mission Mausam to monitor all weather
conditions, particularly severe weather, facilitating improved weather predictions. He encouraged the
collaborations between the MoES institutes and state universities.To mark first observations from this testbed facility, a meteorological balloon was launched by the
Secretary, MoES, VC, AU, and Director, IITM. Other instruments such as the impact disdrometer, 2-
dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD), 3D printed Automatic weather station (3D-PAWS), convectional
AWS, and eddy covariance tower are also installed at this site. These instruments recorded the
measurements form the first thundershower reported today in Visakhapatnam. Such instruments will
enable high-resolution monitoring of drop size distributions including their sizes and shapes, rain-
microphysics, turbulence fluxes, wind information-critical for improving process understanding and their
representation in numerical models.
The future instruments for this testbed facility will include scanning wind lidar, polarimetric cloud and
precipitation Doppler radars, phase array radars, proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer which will not
only help us to understand the atmosphere better but also to predict the extremes with improved accuracy.
This Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART) will serve as a national user facility to provide
research observations to support process-level diagnostics of monsoon convection, improve
parameterization schemes in numerical weather prediction models, enable data assimilation experiments
for enhanced forecast skill and for model evaluation. This shall help in improving early warning systems
for cyclones and extreme weather, supporting disaster management.****
NKR/JKP
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