Bharat Forecast System (BFS)

BFS

Why in News? 

Recently, the Union Minister of Earth Sciences launched the ‘Bharat Forecast System (BFS)’. This system is a high-resolution weather forecasting system, which has been developd entirely with indigenous technology.

What is Bharat Forecast System (BFS)?

• Introduction:
  • BFS is an advanced weather model built by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
  • This system is capable of giving accurate weather predictions with high resolution.
  • The development of the BFS system began in the year 2022 in testing mode, where it was tested under various climatic conditions.
  • This system will be used as the most accurate and reliable model to predict weather events across the country. 
  • It has been developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and will be operated at the national level by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
  • BFS is a computer-based model that analyzes meteorological data and provides highly accurate forecasts.
  • It uses High-Performance Computing (HPC), which enables detailed study of weather activities at a micro level.
• Objective:
  • The main objective of the BFS system is to provide accurate information on extreme weather events like cyclones, heavy rainfall, and monsoon variability.
  • With this system, disaster management agencies can issue warnings in time, helping to reduce the loss of life and property.
  • In the agriculture sector, farmers can plan their crops based on timely weather information.
  • A better understanding of the monsoon will also help in water resource management, crop cycle planning, and strengthening food security policy.

Key Features of Bharat Forecast System (BFS)

• Highest Global Resolution: BFS is one of the world’s highest-quality weather forecasting models, working on a 6-kilometre grid.
  • This grid size makes BFS superior to other models used by countries like the European Union, United Kingdom, and the USA, which operate on 9–14 kilometre grids.
  • This technology helps deliver detailed weather information at the local level.
• Fast Data Processing: BFS model is 60% faster than its predecessor, Pratyush. It delivers quicker and more accurate weather data, which supports real-time decision-making, especially in disaster management.
• Covers Every Region: This system comprehensively covers the entire country. People in remote and rural areas also receive precise weather updates, which is highly beneficial for their daily lives.
• Supports ‘Nowcasting’: BFS system supports ‘Nowcasting’, which means providing immediate weather forecasts for the next two hours. This is critical for sudden weather events like heavy rain, storms, or other emergencies.
• Powered by Supercomputer ‘Arka’: India’s advanced supercomputer ‘Arka’ runs BFS, making its high resolution and speed possible. With this technology, India’s forecasting capabilities are improving on both regional and global levels.
• Detection of Local Intense Weather Events: Compared to IMD’s previous model, which worked on a 12 km x 12 km grid, BFS’s 6 km x 6 km grid allows more accurate detection of extreme events like cloudbursts and flash floods. This helps in responding better to regional disasters.
• Accurate Forecasts at District and Sub-District Levels: One major advantage of the BFS model is that it improves forecast accuracy at district and sub-district levels. This helps local administrations and policymakers to make better plans and manage resources at the right time.

Working Mechanism of Bharat Forecast System (BFS)

• Use of Supercomputer ‘Arka’: The BFS system relies on India’s supercomputer ‘Arka’ for its complex and high-level weather forecast simulations.
  • The supercomputer used in BFS, ‘Arka’, operates at a speed of 11.77 petaflops.
  • Its 33 petabytes of storage simplifies massive data storage and processing.
• Real-time data collection from Doppler weather radars: BFS system collects real-time weather data from over 40 Doppler weather radars spread across the country. These radars constantly monitor the current weather situation.
  • There is a future plan to increase the number of these radars to 100, which will make data collection even more extensive and accurate.
• Regional data processing: BFS includes areas from 30° South to 30° North latitudes in its analysis. This region includes India and many tropical areas where rapidly changing weather events are common. This wide regional coverage allows BFS to provide a deep understanding of tropical weather patterns.
• Advanced simulation technology: The data from radars is processed through the ‘Arka’ supercomputer. It deeply analyzes weather elements like heat, moisture, and wind flow. This processing captures even minor weather changes, enabling fast and accurate forecasts.
• Rapid computation and modelling: Based on all the data, BFS performs complex simulations, which include different weather models. These models forecast the weather at all levels.
  • At the end of the process, data obtained from the BFS model is provided to local and regional administration, agricultural departments, and disaster management agencies.