IMD is eyeing new Doppler radars near Hyderabad in Nizamabad to improve Telangana weather forecast

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Doppler Radar Center Hyderabad at Begumpet | Photo credit: Serish Nanisetti

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) plans to strengthen and expand its weather observation infrastructure across Telangana under the Mission Mausam Center initiative.

“The department is working on plans to install more weather monitoring infrastructure in the state, including new observation stations, Doppler weather radars and wind profilers, though the process will take some time,” said Dharma Raju, scientist at IMD Center Hyderabad.

According to him, IMD is ready to receive two more Doppler weather radars for Telangana. One radar is proposed near Nizamabad while another is planned in Shamshabad area near Hyderabad. The ministry also plans to introduce wind profilers in the state to improve atmospheric monitoring and weather forecasting capabilities.

Currently, the IMD operates a relatively limited observation network in Telangana compared to the Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS), which provides temperature data from all 33 districts. The IMD currently provides temperature data from only 12 places in the state.

But even as the IMD prepares to expand its network, another question is dominating Telangana’s summer conversations: why do the IMD and TGDPS often report different maximum temperatures on the same day? On May 23, the TGDPS reported the highest maximum temperature of 46.3 °C in Telangana, while the IMD advisory reflected temperatures approaching 44.8 °C. According to Mr. Raju, the answer lies in the way both systems collect weather data.

“The difference arises mainly because the two systems use different types of instruments, observation methods and installation standards. TGDPS relies heavily on automated observatories, while IMD follows standardized meteorological protocols involving regular calibration, maintenance and manual inspection of instruments,” he explained.

One of the biggest reasons for the variance, he says, is where the weather sensors are installed. Many of the automatic weather stations used by TGDPS are installed on roofs that absorb and radiate heat during peak summer afternoons. This reflected heat is also captured by the sensor, resulting in comparatively higher temperature readings.

In contrast, IMD devices are not installed on roofs. Mr. Raju said the ministry follows internationally accepted standards of meteorological observation and places temperature sensors around 2.5 meters above the earth’s surface to minimize artificial heat disturbance. “The difference also relates to the quality and cost of the tools used by the two systems,” he added.

Published – 24 May 2026 20:40 IST