Dr Jitendra to declare new regional meteorological centre on June 5 at Jammu

04/06/2026

JAMMU, Jun 3: Marking a major step towards strengthening weather forecasting and disaster preparedness across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh will formally declare the establishment of a new Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) here on June 5.
"The new RMC is being established as a significant milestone in strengthening meteorological services across the north-western Himalayan region, including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh," Director, Meteorological Centre (IMD) for Jammu and Kashmir Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad here told reporters during a curtain raiser programme organized at CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu.
He said that the Centre will integrate weather observations with state-of-the-art X-band Doppler Weather Radar systems and an expanded network of Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs), significantly enhancing real-time weather monitoring, forecasting accuracy and early warning capabilities across the region.
"The Centre is envisioned as a hub for advanced meteorological services, strengthening the observation and forecasting framework for extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, snowfall, flash floods, cloudbursts, thunderstorms, avalanches, heatwaves, coldwaves and other weather-related hazards," he said.
The Director stated that the declaration of the Regional Meteorological Centre reflects continued efforts to strengthen forecasting infrastructure and improve the delivery of weather and climate services.
"The Centre will play a vital role in supporting disaster risk reduction, agriculture, aviation, hydropower, tourism, water resource management, transportation and other weather-sensitive sectors," he said.
He expressed that the new RMC will cater to the meteorological requirements of the union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, as well as Himachal Pradesh.
"The Centre is expected to enhance weather forecasting, climate monitoring and early warning dissemination services across this strategically important and meteorologically diverse region," he asserted.
The main function will be held on June 5, 2026, at the Convention Centre, Jammu, where Dr. Jitendra Singh, union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministries of Earth Sciences and Science and Technology, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, will formally declare the Centre.
Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Satish Sharma and Member of Parliament from Jammu Jugal Kishore Sharma will also grace the occasion.
Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department (IMD), M. Mohapatra, other senior IMD officials and dignitaries from various Central Government offices will also be present.
The programme will highlight the objectives, operational capabilities and anticipated benefits of the proposed Centre, including improved monitoring of extreme weather events, enhanced forecasting accuracy and strengthened coordination with various stakeholder agencies for timely dissemination of weather advisories and warnings.
However, officials described the initiative as a major step towards enhancing weather and climate services across the north-western Himalayan region.

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