Tamil Nadu: 18-year-old Automatic Weather Stations to be assessed ahead of northeast monsoon

CHENNAI: Ahead of the onset of the northeast monsoon, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to assess the condition and operational status of 224 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) installed across the State by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in 2008.

The Commissionerate of Disaster Management has initiated the exercise to evaluate the 18-year-old weather stations, which are located across various blocks in the State. According to an official notification, the objective is to assess the present condition, operational status and installation quality of the AWS network, and recommend restoration, replacement or other corrective measures wherever required.

The Commissionerate has invited agencies to undertake the assessment and has laid down detailed terms and conditions for carrying out the assignment.

During the field inspection, the selected agency will assess the accessibility and suitability of each site, verify the safety infrastructure, including fencing, examine the overall condition of the stations, and evaluate the functioning of all meteorological sensors and the operational status of the complete AWS system.

The Disaster Management Commissionerate has directed that the survey, inspection and submission of the final report be completed by the end of this month, enabling the government to undertake necessary repairs before the northeast monsoon sets in.

The Automatic Weather Stations were installed under a Tamil Nadu Agricultural University project in 2008 using GSM/CDMA communication technology to provide weather data at the block level. The network was established to improve weather monitoring, narrow down spatial and temporal variations in rainfall, support crop insurance through rainfall distribution indices, and assist in evolving location-specific farming practices.

Officials said the assessment is expected to help strengthen the State's weather monitoring infrastructure and improve disaster preparedness ahead of the forthcoming monsoon season.