Bharat Forecast System (BFS)
Context: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to adopt the Bharat Forecast System (BFS), which offers the highest resolution among all global weather models. Important Pointers:
Indigenous Model: The Bharat Forecast System is India’s first indigenously developed deterministic weather model.
Developed By: Created by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
Model Type: It is a deterministic model, providing a single output, unlike ensemble models which offer multiple forecast scenarios.
Spatial Resolution: BFS operates at 6 km × 6 km resolution, the highest in the world for a national model.
Previous Model Resolution: The older system had a 12 km × 12 km resolution, covering 144 sq km per forecast unit.
Geographical Coverage: BFS provides forecasts for the tropical region (between 30° South and 30° North latitude).
Relevance to India: The Indian mainland lies between 8.4° N and 37.6° N, thus fully covered under BFS.
Forecast Accuracy: Capable of predicting localized weather events such as thunderstorms, cyclones, and extreme rainfall with significantly improved precision.