The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is a government agency and the principal institution responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting, and seismology in India, functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). It was established on January 15, 1875, by the Government of India to centralize all meteorological work in the country. The creation of the IMD was a direct response to catastrophic weather events, specifically a devastating tropical cyclone that struck Calcutta in 1864 and subsequent monsoon failures in 1866 and 1871 that caused severe famines, highlighting the need for a unified system for data collection and analysis.
The IMD's mechanism involves operating hundreds of observation stations, including radar stations and high-altitude weather stations, across India and Antarctica. It utilizes data from India's advanced satellite systems, such as the INSAT series, for real-time weather monitoring. The department employs advanced Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models to simulate atmospheric conditions and provide forecasts, which have recently been upgraded to provide accurate forecasts for up to 7 days with a 15-day outlook. A key function is its role as one of the six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMC) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), giving it the responsibility for forecasting, naming, and issuing warnings for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region.
The IMD is closely connected to other MoES institutions like the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) for advanced prediction and research. A recent significant change is the launch of the National Framework of Climate Services (NFCS) in 2024 to protect critical sectors through science-based climate monitoring. Furthermore, the ongoing "Upgradation of Forecast System" scheme, sanctioned in 2021 under the MoES's ACROSS umbrella scheme, aims to improve forecast accuracy and is leading to the rollout of more Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) and the development of hyper-local forecasts.