Reigning data on rains

A website that is as popular among weathermen as it is among those with a secret hobby: tracking the rains

Every day starting June, Prof Julia M. Slingo of the Department of Meteorology at UK8217;s University of Reading; Dr Raghavendra Ashrit, a scientist in Bangalore; and Jay Kumar, a businessman dealing in paints in Jaipur log on to tropmet.res.in. Tracking the monsoons: it8217;s a guilty passion they indulge in when they manage to steal a few hours from work.

In its 10 years of existence, tropmet.res.in or Monsoon On Line has made weathermen out of the thousands addicted to tracking the South Asian phenomena on their monitors. It8217;s a site that has had 36,000 visitors since the last four years.

Thanks to the initiative of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology IITM, Pune, which started Monsoon On Line in August 1997, tracking and monitoring the monsoons has become an exercise that has caught the imagination of thousands across the globe 8212; both for professional reasons and personal interest.

8220;It8217;s great to know that even 10 years after the site was launched, it is still popular. We have had a huge response to the initiative with people mailing us suggestions and enquiries all the time,8221; says J.V. Revadekar, scientist at IITM who developed the site along with K. Rupa Kumar of IITM and D.B. Stephenson and E. Black of the University of Reading in the UK.

8220;It all started when Rupa Kumar and Stephenson met each other in France during some research work. Stephenson suggested putting up the site as he felt everyone in the world was interested in the monsoon 8212; a uniquely Asian phenomenon. With data of the India Meteorological Department IMD being neither easily accessible nor comprehensible to most, we decided to make this a user-friendly site that would serve both professionals and the lay man,8221; says Revadekar, who on instructions from Rupa Kumar, her Ph.D guide, started working on the site on the basic outlines developed by Stephenson.

Today this 8220;definitive information source for monitoring and forecasting the Asian monsoon8221; is constantly updated, with new links added in keeping with the public demand.

The site 8212; which has maps and a wealth of statistical data 8212; presently imparts information on latest precipitation estimates, the current all-India rain pattern with links leading to archival information on monsoons 8212;past, present and much more. Plus, there are links to monsoon forecasting, bibliography and research works on the subject.

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But perhaps the most popular section is the one that has satellite pictures on the progress of the monsoons. 8220;For those not interested in tracking the monsoon for academic reasons, this is the most popular section. There are people who begin tracking the cloud movement right from June through September,8221; says Revadekar.

The wide-ranging interest in the monsoons can perhaps also be explained by the fact that according to the site, the livelihood of over 60 per cent of the world8217;s population depends on the monsoons. Plus, the Asian summer monsoon is a key component of the earth8217;s climate system and has key links with global weather and climate.

Little wonder then that Dr. Ciolek T. Matthew of The Asian Studies WWW Monitor, National Institute for Asia and the Pacific, Australia, has rated the site8217;s scholarly usefulness in the highest-ranked 8220;essential8221; category.

While the site provides invaluable information to those seeking it for professional reasons, it also has a huge fan following among the general public. 8220;I track the monsoon on the net purely as a hobby,8217;8217; says Kumar from Jaipur.

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According to Revadekar, students visit the site regularly. 8220;I keep getting mails from them asking for more data,8221; says the scientist who monitors most of the messages.

The team now plans to start tracking the monsoons a month ahead of the June date. Guess we can never have too much of a good thing.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More