New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh Tuesday said weather-related installations have more than doubled in the past 10 years, leading to better localised forecasts in several cities.

Addressing the 150th Foundation Day Celebrations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) here, he said that before 2014, the number of doppler weather radars across the country was just 15 and it has increased to 39 now.

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"The number of automated weather stations has grown from 700 to 1,500, more than double the number in 2014. Additionally, the number of Balloon Radiosondes was just 33 in 2014, but now it has increased to 56," the minister said at a function that was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

Singh said some recent initiatives, such as "Nowcast", which provides weather forecasts up to three hours ahead, have been extended to 1,200 cities from 120 cities in 2014.

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Singh, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, also shared that the Regional IMD Centre in Srinagar was celebrating its centenary year.

Saulo praised IMD's journey as a testament to India's commitment to weather forecasting and the IMD has maintained its legacy with dedication and embraced technological innovation.

She also paid rich tributes to Anna Mani, an Indian meteorologist who joined IMD in 1948 and worked her way up to become the Deputy Director-General.

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