In the wake of the torrential rains and massive floods in Kerala, the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences on Tuesday proposed to set up a cyclone warning centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
"With several incidents of tropical cyclones and severe weather conditions over Kerala and Karnataka coasts in recent times, the Ministry proposes to set up a cyclone warning centre within a month in (Kerala capital) Thiruvananthapuram," a Ministry statement said.
The new centre will help strengthen weather forecasting by the India Meterological Department office in Kerala, equipped with all infrastructure to issue advance weather warnings and coastal bulletins specially meant for fishermen.
With two doppler weather radars already installed in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, the Ministry said, there are plans to set up another C-Band doppler weather radar at Mangaluru in Karnataka by the end of 2019 to cover the northern parts of Kerala.
"With these three radars, the entire state (of Kerala) will be covered for monitoring rains and severe weather events, and thus enabling adequate advance warnings to the people."
The IMD has cyclone warning centres in Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai.
More than 400 people have lost their lives and over 10 lakh people are staying in 3274 relief camps across the state. Heavy rains and floods have also battered Karnataka killing at least 12 people and rendering thousands homeless.
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