Officials said that while the METAR services for aviation has been made functional at Navi Mumbai, work is underway to establish a full fledged traditional observatory alongside the aerodrome meteorological station (AMS). (Express Photo)
Tucked within the Navi Mumbai International Airport premises, Navi Mumbai is set to get its first India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather observatory in what seeks to enhance weather observations and forecasts for the extended Raigad district. The region’s first observatory is being developed as an ancillary to the IMD’s newly launched aerodrome meteorological station (AWS), which was operationalised on December 25 when the airport commenced commercial operations.
While the aerodrome station involves monitoring of equipment on the airport runway and publishing of METAR that facilitates smooth aviation services, the upcoming observatory will be equipped with traditional equipment such as wind profilers and automatic weather stations to provide accurate local forecasting and readings for entire Raigad district.
Launched in December 2025, the AMS is situated inside the premises of the Navi Mumbai International Airport allowing IMD officials to track data and generate a Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) which enables pilots to make informed decisions during landing and takeoff.
According to officials, the METAR furnishes details pertaining to the visibility along the runway, temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and directions amongst other weather observations which are crucial for the takeoff and landing of aircraft.
Bikram Singh, director of IMD Mumbai, told The Indian Express, “The METAR report being generated at the Navi Mumbai aerodrome station is crucial for aviation purposes to ensure safe takeoff and landing situations. We look at various parameters ranging from wind speed to visibility which can impact flight services. The METAR product generated at the station is shared with the Air Traffic Control, who further share this crucial information with the pilots to ensure that they can make an informed decision.”
Singh said that while the METAR reports are published every 30 minutes, other reports crucial to aviation services ranging from terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF), aerodrome warning and SIGMETs are generated by the Aerodrome Meteorological Office (AMO) situated at the Mumbai airport in Santacruz.
Officials said that while the METAR services for aviation has been made functional at Navi Mumbai, work is underway to establish a full fledged traditional observatory alongside the aerodrome meteorological station (AMS).
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At present, there are two observatories in Mumbai, in Colaba and Santacruz each, while the next IMD observatory is situated in Ratnagiri district. The lack of an IMD observatory for the Navi Mumbai region has been subject to criticism. After the IMD drew flak for failing to issue timely alerts for heatwave when 14 people died of heatstroke while attending a rally, an automatic weather stations (AWS) was opened in Kharghar. But, a dedicated observatory for the region was missing.
To bridge the gap, the weather bureau is now constructing a observatory which seeks to boost forecasting in the region. “With the opening of the aerodrome station, we are already generating daily observations for the region. After Mumbai, the next IMD observatory lies in Alibaug. This new observatory will not only support aviation services but also provide enhanced forecasting for Navi Mumbai and Raigad district,” said an official from the IMD aerodrome station.
Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai's residents.
Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T)
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Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft).
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