Here,the weatherman can’t go wrong

Mumbai’s meteorological department— one of the six regional centres in India — is the designated authority to provide necessary meteorological services for air navigation for domestic and international flights operating from the airport. The service includes providing wind forecasts and temperature,which are essential features in flight planning. “At times during monsoons,the rains are extremely intense and nobody can do anything about it but otherwise we are pretty well equipped to counter rains and provide accurate forecasts to the airlines,” said Bhagat. “There is a section on our website where all airlines can get whatever information they want,” he added.

Apart from forecasts,the Met Department’s aviation services also provide the airlines with prognostic weather charts,forecasts for aerodrome weather for landings and take-offs,among other significant weather information. On entering the Met office on the ground floor of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower,one sees see the kind of preparation that goes on while trying to make the best possible predictions,from complex weather charts implying wind directions over the Arabian Sea to other weather indicators.

According to Bhagat,weather and wind information from flight level 50 to 400 are available to airlines at any point of time. Flight level 50 to 400 means between 5,000 feet and 40,000 feet above sea level,in layman’s terms.

According to Bhagat,aviation activities have increased tremendously in the recent decade but with the use of technology such as the web-based meteorological briefing system,things have become relatively easier and less cumbersome. “The meteorological systems at the Mumbai airport are installed as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommendations and the data that is obtained from these systems are acquisitioned,processed and displayed on line as per the requirements of the airport.” “These systems are absolutely essential in determination of the operational characteristics in an airport,” he added.