The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), established in 1875, began by tracking temperature, moisture and rain. Now it is one of the biggest operations in the world that tracks dozens of weather parameters. This information is shared in the public domain.
When the IMD came into being, its goal was to “Study systematically the climate and weather in India as a whole and application of the knowledge thus acquired to the issue of storm and other warnings and daily forecasts.”
In the aftermath of a disastrous famine in 1877, the department was tasked with forecasting south-west monsoon. Now, as all signs point to climate change, should the IMD factor in microclimate conditions to save lives?
