The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will enhance its weather forecasting capabilities with the introduction of the Bharat Forecast System (BFS), which features an unprecedented spatial resolution of 6km x 6km. This advanced model, officially handed over to IMD on May 26, 2025, represents a significant leap forward in predicting extreme weather events, particularly intense rainfall and cyclones.
Developed by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the BFS is set to become operational ahead of the upcoming monsoon season. This model is notable for being the first of its kind in India, with plans for further refinement to even finer resolutions of 3km and 1km. Such precision allows for a more accurate interpretation of localized weather phenomena.
Currently, IMD relies on the Coupled Forecasting System (CFS), which was adapted from a framework established by the National Center for Environmental Prediction in the United States. While CFS provides valuable forecasts, it operates at a coarser resolution of 12km x 12km, resulting in forecasts that may overlook smaller-scale weather variations within a 144 sq km area.
Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay, a senior weather modeller with IITM, emphasized that the BFS is India’s first domestically developed weather model and operates on a deterministic basis, delivering single-model outputs. This advancement promises to enhance IMD's forecasting abilities, particularly as extreme weather occurrences have been on the rise.
The BFS has been in experimental operation at IITM since 2022. With its implementation, IMD aims to provide more accurate forecasts for extreme weather events starting with this year's monsoon, marking a crucial step forward in India's meteorological capabilities.
