India’s weather forecasts just got sharper. The Bharat Forecast System, launched in May 2025, can now predict weather down to a cluster of Panchayats. It was built by IITM Pune, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, not IIT Delhi, a mix-up that shows up often in exam questions.

Bharat Forecast System, by the Numbers
India’s sharpest operational weather model, launched 26 May 2025
6 kmGrid resolution, down from 12 km
+64%Accuracy gain in monsoon zones
+30%Accuracy gain, extreme rainfall
2Supercomputers: Arka & Arunika
Built by IITM Pune, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences — not IIT Delhi, a mix-up that shows up often in exam questions.
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🏛️ Must Know
What the Bharat Forecast System Does
- The Bharat Forecast The Bharat Forecast System, launched 26 May 2025, is India’s new indigenous, high-resolution weather model.
- Its objective is Its objective is to generate forecasts down to the level of a cluster of Panchayats, far more local than older models.
- It was developed It was developed by IITM Pune, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, with support from NCMRWF Noida and the IMD. IIT Delhi had no role in building it.
- Union Earth Sciences Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh unveiled the system at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
🏘️ Good to Know
The Numbers Behind It
- The system runs The system runs on a 6 km by 6 km global grid, sharper than the older 12 km grid it replaces, using a design called the Triangular Cubic Octahedral, or TCo, dynamical grid.
- This makes it This makes it one of the highest-resolution operational global weather models anywhere in the world.
- It shows about It shows about 64% better accuracy in core monsoon zones, and about 30% better accuracy predicting extreme rainfall, compared to earlier models.
- Two new supercomputers Two new supercomputers make this possible: Arka, at IITM Pune, and Arunika, at NCMRWF Noida.
- Radar Network The system draws real-time input from a network of 40 Doppler Weather Radars, which the government plans to expand to 100. This radar data feeds nowcasts, very short-term forecasts covering just the next two hours, vital for fast-changing severe weather.
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