Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is responsible for all weather and climate services in India. IMD works under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) with its headquarters at New Delhi. It is a hub of advanced meteorological instruments, computing platforms, weather and climate prediction models, information processing and forecasting systems and warning dissemination systems.

• India Meteorological Department (IMD) is celebrating the completion of 150 years as the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
• In order to celebrate this milestone, a series of activities were organized starting from 15th January, 2024 to 15th January, 2025, marking the completion of 150 years of establishment of IMD.
• The objective of these events is to showcase IMD's achievements during the past 150 years, its role in making India climate-resilient, and demonstrate how IMD and other MoEs institutions are leading the scientific journey in the current millennia.
• The main program was organized on 15th January, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• The event was attended by scientists/engineers from the meteorological fraternity, disaster managers, and experts from various states and central government & non-government agencies.
• Hon’ble Union Ministers were also invited to this auspicious event.
• It is anticipated that about 3000 participants attended the event.

Colonial Origins (1875-1947)

• IMD's origination dates back to the Great Calcutta Cyclone of 1864 (70,000 deaths) and 1872 Bombay storm, exposing colonial weather tracking gaps.
• British Viceroy Lord Lytton established IMD on January 4, 1875, under Sir Henry Francis Blanford as first Meteorological Reporter.
• Headquartered in Shimla, it began with 11 observatories tracking monsoons critical for famine codes.
• Key Milestones of IMD:
  • 1880: First monsoon forecast
  • 1903: H.F. Loxham's cyclone warning system
  • 1920s: Upper air observations via pilot balloons
  • 1930s: Wireless storm warnings to ships
• World War II accelerated radar/weather ship networks, laying modern foundations despite serving primarily British revenue interests.

Post-Independence Expansion (1947-1990)

• Dr S. Basu (1948–1953), India's first IMD chief, indigenized operations amid Partition chaos.
• The 1950 Constitution (Entry 17, State List) formalized IMD under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (later).

• Cyclone Tracking: 1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone (10,000 deaths) prompted Area Cyclone Warning Centres (Chennai, Mumbai).
• INS Vikrant deployments revolutionized Bay of Bengal surveillance.

IMD has achieved many advancements since its establishment, which marks its dedication to innovation and improvement. Some of its achievements are as follows:

Pioneering Weather Observations

• IMD has replaced all the Mercury Barometers with Digital Barometers as per the UNEP Minamata convention, as Mercury is dangerous to human health, at all Class I observatories by 2023.
• Enhanced agro-meteorological services with the deployment of 200 AGRO AWS stations.
• Sustenance of 25 GPS based PB Stations in which 5 stations equipped with IMD manufactured and 20 are outsourced from Indian manufactures.

Communication and Outreach

• India Meteorological Department launched its Crowdsource web interface in January 2021 and the mobile App "Public Observation” on 14th January, 2022 to allow users to provide their weather feedback at any time from anywhere.
• Crowd sourcing: Since 2021, IMD has started an online interface to collect the information of the weather that has occurred as well as the associated impact information for six weather events initially, viz., Rain. Hail, Duststorm, Wind Speed, Thunderstorm/Lightning & Fog.

• Overall Forecast Accuracy witnessed a 40% improvement in 2023 as compared to 2014.
• Expansion of Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) network from 15 in 2014 to 39 in 2023 with land area of coverage increased by about 35% from 2014.
• The successful prediction of cyclones like Phailin (2013), Hudhud (2014), Fani (2019), Amphan (2020), Tauktae (2021), Biparjoy (2023), and Dana (2024) has demonstrated our capabilities and the value of our services in saving lives and reducing economic losses.
• With the accurate cyclone warning by IMD, the number of deaths has reduced from 10,000 in 1999 to Zero in 2020–2024.

• High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model for Nowcasting of Rainfall & Reflectivity forecasts.
• Electric Weather Research and Forecasting (EWRF) model for Nowcast of Lightning density & Accumulated Rainfall forecasts.
• Mausamgram, an interactive and dynamic meteogram which provides location specific weather forecast information, was released on 15-01-2024 during the IMD’s 150th foundation celebration day by the Vice President of India to the public.
• Increase in the number of Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) from 1350 in 2014 to 1382 in 2023.
• Increase in the number of District-wise Rainfall Monitoring Scheme (DRMS) stations from 3955 in 2014 to 5896 in 2023.

The 150-year journey of IMD from colonial cyclone warnings to AI-powered climate resilience has saved millions, powering agriculture and aviation for 1.4 billion Indians. The Mausam Bhawan continues to ensure the future safety of the Indian subcontinent from intense climate threats through their cutting-edge forecasts and unwavering national service.

When was IMD established?

IMD was established on January 4, 1875, by British Viceroy Lord Lytton after major cyclones exposed weather tracking gaps.

Who was IMD's first chief?

Sir Henry Francis Blanford served as the first Meteorological Chief to the Government of India (British India).

What is IMD's cyclone forecasting milestone?

Zero deaths during Cyclone Tauktae (2021) via 120-hour advance warnings evacuating coastal populations was regarded as one of the milestones by IMD.

How accurate are IMD monsoon predictions?

92% accuracy achieved in 2025 using dynamic-consensus models integrating IMD, NOAA, and CFSv2 data.

What celebrates IMD's 150th anniversary?

Dardmulla Doppler Radar commissioning, Mausam AI Platform launch, and National Meteorology Day (Jan 4, 2025) celebrates IMD’s 150th anniversary.