**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) released a report on "Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region" to assess regional climate change. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) developed a "Climate Hazard and Vulnerability Atlas of India" and studied changing rainfall patterns. To enhance early warning capabilities, various steps were taken from 2021-2026 under the ACROSS scheme and subsequently the Mission Mausam scheme (approved in 2024).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Climate Change Assessment and Hazard Mapping:**
* MoES published a report on "Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region."
* IMD developed a web-based "Climate Hazard and Vulnerability Atlas of India" covering 13 major hazardous meteorological events.
* IMD published 29 reports on "Observed Rainfall Variability and Changes" for various States/UTs.
* **Enhancing Early Warning Capabilities:**
* Steps were taken under the umbrella scheme "Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)" from 2021-2026.
* The Union Cabinet approved the Mission Mausam scheme in 2024 with a budget of 2,000 crore for two years (2024-25 to 2025-26).
* The ACROSS sub-scheme was merged into the Mission Mausam scheme.
* **Forecasting Systems and Computing Power:**
* Two global forecast systems, GFS 12 km and NCUM 12 km, are operational in real-time.
* The Bharat Forecasting System (BharatFS) is operational since May 2025.
* Computing facilities have been substantially increased, and the Ministry of Earth Sciences enhanced its total computing power to 28 Peta FLOPS in 2025.
* **Decision Support System (DSS):**
* IMD developed an end-to-end GIS-based Decision Support System (DSS) for timely early warning against all types of severe weather.
* DSS integrates exposure data with hazard data.
* IMD is collaborating with ICAR and ICMR to develop sector-specific weather and climate services.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for publishing the climate change assessment report, implementing the ACROSS and Mission Mausam schemes, and enhancing computing power for improved forecasting.
* **Action Required:** Continue to develop and implement schemes for improved weather monitoring and forecasting, and to provide resources for climate research.
**India Meteorological Department (IMD)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for developing the Climate Hazard Atlas, studying rainfall patterns, and developing the DSS.
* **Action Required:** Maintain and update the Climate Hazard Atlas, continue studying rainfall patterns, and ensure the effective operation of the DSS.
**General Public**
* **Impact:** Will benefit from improved early warnings and more accurate weather forecasts, leading to better preparedness for extreme weather events.
* **Action Required:** Stay informed about weather forecasts and early warnings issued by IMD, and take appropriate actions to protect themselves and their property during extreme weather events.
**Researchers and Scientists**
* **Impact:** Access to more detailed and high-resolution data for studying climate change and extreme weather events.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the available data and resources to conduct research that contributes to a better understanding of climate change and its impacts.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES): The primary government body responsible for the schemes and programs discussed in the document related to weather monitoring and forecasting.
India Meteorological Department (IMD): An agency under MoES responsible for weather forecasting and related services, and developer of key tools like the Climate Hazard and Vulnerability Atlas of India.
Prithvi Vigyan (PRITHVI) Scheme: An overarching scheme of MoES that incorporates weather monitoring and forecasting programs, including ACROSS as a sub-scheme.
Mission Mausam: A central sector scheme approved by the Union Cabinet with a budget outlay of 2,000 crore to enhance weather and climate services.
ACROSS (Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services): A sub-scheme under Prithvi Vigyan, focused on research, modeling, and observing systems related to weather and climate.
Ministry of Earth Sciences
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: STUDIES TO ASSESS
THE IMPACT OF EXTREME WEATHER
CONDITIONS
Posted On: 11 FEB 2026 11:37AM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has published a Climate Change report entitled "Assessment of
Climate Change over the Indian Region", which covers all aspects of regional climate change, including
the climatic extreme conditions across India. The report is available at
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-15-4327-2. The India Meteorological Department (IMD)
has developed a web-based "Climate Hazard and Vulnerability Atlas of India", which covers 13 major
hazardous meteorological events that cause significant human, animal, and economic losses. The web
Atlas is depicted using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and is made available on the IMD,
Pune website (https://www.imdpune.gov.in/hazardatlas/index.html). Further, IMD also studied changing
rainfall patterns in the country and extremes in the recent 30 years at different spatial scales (States and
Districts). A total of 29 reports on "Observed Rainfall Variability and Changes" for various States/UTs
were published, and they are available at the following
(https://www.imdpune.gov.in/Reports/rainfall%20variability% 20page/raintrend%20new.html).
To enhance the early warning capability of IMD and improve warning for extreme weather incidents, the
Government has taken various steps during 2021-26 under the umbrella scheme "Atmosphere & Climate
Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)" of the MoES. Subsequently, the scheme
ACROSS was merged as a sub-scheme under the overarching Scheme "Prithvi Vigyan (PRITHVI)" of
MoES in 2024. To further enhance weather monitoring and forecasting across India and surrounding
regions by leveraging advanced observational and computing technologies for greater precision and
resolution, the Union Cabinet approved the central sector scheme Mission Mausam in 2024, with a budget
outlay of 2,000 crore over two years (2024-25 to 2025-26). The scheme seeks to exponentially enhance
the country's weather and climate observations, understanding, modeling, and forecasting, leading to
better, more useful, accurate, and timely services. The ACROSS sub-scheme under the PRITHVI scheme
was merged into the Mission Mausam scheme.
Within these projects, two global forecast systems, such as GFS 12 km and NCUM 12 km, are
operationalised in real-time. It has also launched the Bharat Forecasting System (BharatFS), operational
since May 2025, at a very high resolution of up to 6 km to cater to block-level and, further, panchayat-
level needs. Further, to support such high-resolution models running regularly, the Computing facilities
have also been substantially increased to integrate voluminous data and to run meso-scale, regional, and
global models at higher resolution. Recently, with the implementation of the High Power Computing
Systems "Arunika" and "Arka", the Ministry of Earth Sciences has enhanced its total computing power to
28 Peta FLOPS in 2025, a substantial increase from the previous capacity of 6.8 Peta FLOPS in 2014.
For effective utilization of observational and NWP products and for providing timely early warning
against all types of severe weather, IMD has developed an end-to-end GIS-based Decision Support
System (DSS), which serves as the front end of the early warning systems for the timely detection andmonitoring of all-weather hazards. It is supported by specific severe weather modules to provide timely,
impact-based early warnings for extreme weather events such as cyclones, Heavy rainfall, Thunderstorms,
lightning, Fog, and heatwaves, which have devastating impacts on human lives, livelihoods, and
infrastructure. This system uses all historical data, their extremes, as well as real-time surface and upper-
air meteorological observations available to it for the Indian region and neighbourhood. It also includes
radar observations available every 10 minutes and Satellite products available every 15 minutes. It also
uses Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) products from a suite of models run in MoES. The models
include mesoscale (including hyperlocal), regional, and global models. Various models are currently
operational in real time at the IMD and other centres of MoES at the hyperlocal and mesoscale. To provide
impact-based forecasts and warnings, the DSS integrates exposure data with hazard data within the
system.
IMD is collaborating with organisations such as ICAR, ICMR, etc., to develop sector-specific weather and
climate services.
This information was submitted by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences and
Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh in Lok Sabha on 11th February 2026.
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