From a modest start to advanced tech, IMD turns150

Being India’s primary agency for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), established in 1875, has evolved from a modest colonial-era institution into a technologically advanced organisation serving a rapidly developing nation.

IMD was set up in the aftermath of a series of climatic disasters — a devastating cyclone that struck Calcutta in 1864, followed by monsoon failures in 1866 and 1871. To address these recurring challenges, the colonial government brought all meteorological work under a central authority in 1875, appointing H F Blanford as the first Meteorological Reporter.

Sir John Eliot became the first Director General of Observatories in May 1889. IMD’s headquarters initially functioned from Calcutta before moving to Shimla, then Poona (now Pune) and finally New Delhi.

In its early years, IMD relied heavily on weather telegrams to collect observational data and issue warnings. Over time, it emerged as a technological pioneer. It was the first organisation in India to install a message-switching computer for global data exchange, and among the earliest scientific institutions in the country to use electronic computers for meteorological research.

India also became the first developing country to deploy its own geostationary satellite. INSAT. enabling continuous weather monitoring, particularly for cyclone detection and early warnings.

In recent years, IMD has accelerated modernisation. By 2023, all mercury barometers were replaced with digital barometers, eliminating health hazards. Agro-meteorological services were strengthened with the deployment of 200 automated agro-weather stations.

Last year, the Ministry of Earth Sciences launched major initiatives, including improved rainfall monitoring, crop-weather calendars, advanced forecasting platforms such as the Bharat Forecast System–Extended Range Prediction (BharatFS-ERP) and high-resolution rainfall datasets.

Infrastructure expansion has been significant. Doppler weather radars increased from 15 to 41 in a single year, while seismic stations, weather observatories, upper-air systems, lightning detection networks and rain gauges have more than doubled.

Looking ahead, IMD plans to expand its automated weather station network to the district level (800 stations) and block level (1.5 lakh stations). It also proposes to display real-time weather data and forecasts at 150 observatories and around 500 prominent tourist locations, further strengthening public access and awareness.