Yogi Adityanath Inaugurates Regional Meteorological Centre In Lucknow, Highlights Disaster Preparedness

UP CM Yogi inaugurated the Regional Meteorological Centre in Lucknow, saying improved forecasting, early warning systems and new weather infrastructure will aid farmers and disaster response.

UP CM Yogi inaugurated the Regional Meteorological Centre in Lucknow.

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Chief Minister Adityanath inaugurated Lucknow's Regional Meteorological Centre.
• New center improves weather forecasting for Uttar Pradesh farmers.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday inaugurated the Regional Meteorological Centre in Lucknow alongside Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh. The facility has been established through the upgradation of the existing Lucknow Meteorological Centre.

New Centre To Strengthen Weather Forecasting

Speaking at the event, Adityanath said the new centre would help improve weather forecasting and disaster preparedness in Uttar Pradesh, which he described as particularly important for a state heavily dependent on agriculture.

"The results of the work carried out over the past 12 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the field of weather forecasting and research are clearly visible today. The establishment of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Lucknow will provide special benefits to Uttar Pradesh. UP is the most populous state in the country. Despite having only 11 percent of the country's cultivable land, Uttar Pradesh contributes 21 percent of India's food grain production," he said.

The Chief Minister said timely information on rainfall, droughts, hailstorms and other weather events was critical for farmers and for minimising losses caused by natural disasters. He described the new centre as an important step towards obtaining more accurate weather data.

Referring to discussions held during reviews of seasonal weather-related challenges, including excessive rainfall, drought and lightning strikes, Adityanath said accurate forecasts played a key role in planning and response efforts.

"During meetings concerning excessive rainfall, drought, lightning and other seasonal issues, discussions with meteorological and related departments often highlighted how timely and accurate information helps in formulating the right strategy. Today, in the presence of Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Lucknow is establishing itself as a Meteorological Regional Centre. This is an important step towards scientifically advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat through Uttar Pradesh," he said.

The Chief Minister also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dr Jitendra Singh for supporting the initiative.

Improved Forecasting And Early Warning Systems

Highlighting developments in weather forecasting, he said improvements over the past decade had increased the accuracy of forecasts and strengthened disaster management efforts.

"The lack of adequate attention to this subject after Independence prevented farmers from making the desired progress. Efforts to prevent loss of life and property due to natural disasters also remained incomplete. However, the campaign initiated by Dr Jitendra Singh under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi over the last 12 years has produced visible results. 12 years ago, weather forecasts regarding rainfall, excessive rainfall, drought and lightning often turned out to be inaccurate. Today, precise weather information is available."

Adityanath also cited recent examples to illustrate the use of early warning systems. Referring to storms that struck parts of Uttar Pradesh on May 13, he said a review found that weather alerts had been issued but local-level response mechanisms had not worked effectively. He said officials were later directed to ensure that alerts reached residents and institutions in a timely manner.

According to the Chief Minister, advance warnings subsequently helped authorities respond more effectively during later weather-related emergencies.

Disaster Response And Lightning Risk Reduction

He also referred to an incident near the Maa Shakambhari Devi Temple in Saharanpur district, where authorities evacuated devotees after receiving advance information about heavy rainfall in the Shivalik region.

"Maa Shakambhari Devi Temple is located in the foothills of the Shivalik range. Heavy rainfall in Dehradun and the Shivalik hills often leads to flood-like situations in the area. At that time, devotional singing was underway in the temple and a large number of devotees were present. However, timely information from the Meteorological Department enabled authorities to move everyone to safer locations, preventing major loss of life and property."

The Chief Minister also discussed efforts to reduce deaths caused by lightning, particularly in districts such as Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Chandauli, which have historically reported a high number of fatalities.

"Districts such as Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Chandauli face a high risk of lightning strikes. Every year, 100 to 150 people used to lose their lives due to lightning. Four to five years ago, 90 deaths occurred in a single day between Prayagraj and Patna, including 30 in Uttar Pradesh and 60 in Bihar. Following this, during a meeting of NDRF, SDRF, MDMA and the India Meteorological Department, he questioned who would prevent such deaths and whether technology could help. The departments confirmed that it was possible. As a result of implementing the Early Warning System, annual deaths in these districts have reduced to just around a dozen."

Adityanath urged people to remain cautious during adverse weather conditions and said advance forecasting could help protect lives, property and agricultural output. He added that the state government had sought support from ISRO for a dedicated satellite to further improve weather monitoring in Uttar Pradesh.

Climate Change Concerns And Technology Push

The Chief Minister also spoke about the broader impact of climate change, saying changing weather patterns posed challenges to agriculture and food security.

"Since humans began using their intelligence, understanding weather, lightning and rainfall has always been a matter of curiosity. Ancient sages developed the Panchang based on local conditions. Even today, calculations based on planetary positions and constellations contribute to weather predictions. Folk sayings and traditions also reflected weather forecasting through the sounds of certain birds and changes in animal behaviour."

He said climate change had altered weather cycles and warned that continued disruption could affect food production in the future. Timely weather information, he added, could help reduce losses to farmers and the wider economy.

Expanding Weather Monitoring Infrastructure

The Chief Minister also highlighted the state's weather-monitoring infrastructure, including 450 Automatic Weather Stations and 2,000 Automatic Rain Gauges installed at the block level. He said these systems collect real-time data on rainfall, temperature and wind conditions.

He further noted that X-Band Doppler Weather Radars are being installed in Azamgarh, Varanasi, Aligarh, Jhansi and Lucknow to strengthen monitoring of storms, heavy rainfall and hailstorms.

"Lightning detection sensors have also been installed. Timely MMS alerts are received through the Government of India's Sachet platform. These measures have helped prevent loss of life and property in Saharanpur and several other districts."

The programme was attended by India Meteorological Department Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Regional Meteorological Centre New Delhi head Dr Dushmanta Ranjan Patnaik, Lucknow Meteorological Centre head Dr Manish Ramesh Ranalkar and other officials.