Leh, Dec 30 : Union Minister of Earth Science Dr Harsh Vardhan recently inaugurated a Meteorological Centre in the Union Territory of Ladakh. This is happening for the first time, at a strategically important place like that of Ladakh mainly because of the abrogation of Article 370. The Meteorological centre will provide weather forecasts for the region and strengthen the early warning system of weather forecasting in the region.

 

The centre is the first Meteorological Centre in Ladakh. It is the highest centre in India located at a height of 3,500 metres. The Centre will provide short-range weather forecasts that ranges up to three days, medium range weather forecasts that ranges upto twelve days and long-range weather forecasts that ranges up to one month.

 

It will provide weather forecasts to two districts such as Kargil and Leh. Also, the centre will provide weather forecast to tourist places such as Nubra, Drass, Pangong Tso, Kargil, Khalsi, Changthang. The major services to be provided by the centres are forecast for agriculture, mountaineering, trekking, flash flood warning, highway forecast, information of low and high temperatures.

 

Other than the strategic significance of Ladakh during the ongoing Indo-China conflict, it is also important to set up the centre in Ladakh due to its extreme climatic conditions. Ladakh experiences different extreme weather events such as cloud bursts, flash floods, glacial lake outbursts, avalanches and drought.

 

There are four Automatic Weather Stations in Ladakh. Indian Meteorological Department plans to install more Automatic Weather Stations to improve network of observations in places such as Nubra, Zanskar, Parkachik and others.