CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, March 23: The Meteorological Department, Ranchi is currently conducting research to study the microphysics of thunder and lightning in Jharkhand. Cases of thunder and lightning are a major concern in Ranchi and many people lose their lives every year to thunderbolts.
Abhishek Anand, scientist and head of office at the Meteorological Department, Ranchi said that the study on the microphysics of thunder and lightning will help in knowing the accuracy of lightning.
“Thunder and lightning usually last for an hour or so hence its prediction cannot be done days earlier. The accuracy and time of lightning is covered in nowcasting by studying the images via the help of radars and satellites. We have a sensory device tied to a hydrogen balloon which is released 35 km in the air every morning at 5 am to read parameters at different levels of the atmosphere. Those parameters are very crucial to study the accuracy of thunder and lightning,” he said.
The Meteorological Department, Ranchi celebrated World Meteorological Day on March 23 and it was opened for public visit for two hours. The theme of the event was ‘early warning and early action’ Necessary information was provided to people with regard to climate information for disaster risk reduction.
The Meteorological Department doesn’t only provide weather forecasts but also verifies them. The forecast verification is usually 100% accurate on the first day and it goes down to 80% by day 5.
“In order to survive from thunder and lightning people should always be alert during such situations. We have a smartphone application called ‘Damini’ which gives a thundering forecast an hour before.The forecasting and nowcasting done by us is also provided to different administrations so that they can do the necessary preparations. We provide the GPS coordinates of the lightning prone areas,” Anand explained.
In 2020-2021, Jharkhand recorded around 322 human deaths and 882 animal deaths due to lightning strikes. The number was considered to be the highest in the last five years. Lightning strikes have been a cause of concern in major parts of the state.
