1-Hydrometeorological observation systems in India and need for improvement and research

Abstract

In the field of hydrometeorology, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has done some pioneering work in the country. It continues to render operational services in design storm evaluation, flood and drought, prediction, snow cover monitoring and basin water management. Every observational system relies around the optimum utilisation of its network. Different densities of precipitation network are required for different purposes. For instance, for climatological purposes the network may bear a long series of data. Correlation structure of the precipitation field is discussed to know the spatial and temporal requirements or the network. Analysis of precipitation data include evaluation or spatial and temporal variability of rainfall which is crucial not only in providing designs for various structures both large and small. Trends and fluctuations are demarcated in the spectrum analysis of the series in the precipitation regimes.

Errors involved in the present day observational systems both in the conventional and remote sensing techniques used are discussed.