India Meteorological Department

The India Meteorological Department has forecast an above normal number of heatwave days across most parts of India between March and May. The forecast was issued as part of its monthly seasonal outlook.

India Meteorological Department (IMD):

Dimension	Key Details
Establishment	Established in 1875 as the national meteorological service of India.
Administrative Ministry	Functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Headquarters	Headquartered in New Delhi.
Leadership	The Director General of Meteorology serves as the head of the department.
Observation Network	Operates hundreds of meteorological observation stations across India and Antarctica.
Regional Meteorological Centres	Comprises six centres located at Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Nagpur and Guwahati.
Core Mandate	Provides meteorological observations and forecast information for activities including agriculture, aviation, shipping and offshore oil exploration.
Severe Weather Warning	Issues warnings for severe weather phenomena including tropical cyclones, norwesters, duststorms, heavy rain, snow, cold waves and heat waves.
Statistical Services	Provides meteorological statistics for agriculture, water resource management, industry and oil exploration.
Research Role	Conducts and promotes research in meteorology and allied disciplines.
WMO Role	Serves as one of the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.
Cyclone Forecasting Responsibility	Provides forecasting, naming and warning dissemination for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region including the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf and Straits of Malacca.