UPSC Notes

Emerging Information Technologies in Weather Forecasting

PYQs

8

Articles

1

Momentum

21

Phase IFoundation

Background

Overview

Highlights the application of cutting-edge technology for public good and national development, a key aspect of GS3 Science & Technology. It also touches upon India's capabilities in advanced computing and AI research.

Emerging Information Technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and High-Performance Computing (HPC), are revolutionizing weather forecasting by enabling the processing of vast datasets, running complex numerical models, and identifying intricate patterns, leading to more accurate and timely predictions.

Phase IIStatic core

Facts & tables

Key facts

HPC for NWP

IMD uses High-Performance Computing (HPC) facilities to support high-resolution Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models.

AI-enabled Tools

Operational AI-based global models (e.g., Pangu Weather, FourCastNet, GraphCast) provide guidance for severe weather prediction.

Indigenous Development

AI/ML applications and tools have been developed indigenously by MoES scientists for monitoring, observational processing, nowcasting, and urban forecasting.

Enhanced Resolution

Systems like Bharat Forecasting System (BharatFS) achieve a spatial resolution of 6 km, enabling localized weather feature capture.

Reference table

Static syllabus anchors

TypeReference
Conceptual areaScience & Technology

Reference table

Institutions & roles

BodyRole
India Meteorological Department (IMD)Implements
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)Oversees
Phase IIIExam lens

Prelims angle

Overview

Prelims angle: Statement-based questions

Prelims angle: Factual recall

Quick revision

  • HPC for high-resolution NWP models.
  • AI/ML tools for severe weather prediction.
  • Indigenous development of AI/ML applications.
  • BharatFS provides 6 km resolution forecasts.
  • Enhances accuracy and timeliness of warnings.

High-confidence PYQs

Topic timeline

Science & Technology

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: WEATHER-BASED AGRO-ADVISOR SERVICES

05 Aug 2026 · India is leveraging emerging information technologies like AI, ML, and HPC to significantly enhance its weather forecasting capabilities, enabling higher resolution predictions, faster processing, and more accurate early warnings for various sectors, including agriculture.

Read article

Related topics

Current topic

Emerging Information Technologies in Weather Forecasting

Practice writing on this topic

UPSC has asked 8 linked questions on Emerging Information Technologies in Weather Forecasting in Mains. Write an answer to one — and get it evaluated.

UPSC Prelims PYQs on Emerging Information Technologies in Weather Forecasting

Practice official previous year questions asked by UPSC related to this concept.

Which of the following statements with regard to India's indigenous new high resolution weather model, the 'Bharat Forecast System,' is/are correct? 1. Its ...

2026·Science & Technology
Solve

Consider the following statements with respect to the AI Impact Summit, 2026 held in New Delhi : 1. The Summit's intellectual framework was based on three f...

2026·Science & Technology
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When the alarm of your smartphone rings in the morning, you wake up and tap it to stop the alarm which causes your geyser to be switched on automatically. Th...

2018·Science & Technology
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Which of the following statements with regard to Large Language Models (LLMs) used in machine learning is/are correct ? 1. LLMs assign probabilities to the ...

2026·Science & Technology
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With reference to “Software as a Service (SaaS)”, consider the following statements: 1. SaaS buyers can customize the user interface and can change data fie...

2022·Science & Technology
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Consider the following statements: I. Indian Railways have prepared a National Rail Plan (NRP) to create a future ready railway system by 2028. II. 'Kavac...

2025·Science & Technology
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Which of the following statements with regard to the National Quantum Mission (NQM) is/are correct? 1. It aims at developing intermediate-scale quantum comp...

2026·Science & Technology
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With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence an effectively do which of the following? 1. Bring down electricity consumption in industrial ...

2020·Science & Technology
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