Books & Magazines
Bharat Forecast System (BFS) is India’s advanced weather model offering fast, accurate, high-resolution forecasts. Learn how BFS helps farmers, and disaster management.
PWOnlyIAS
May 26, 2025
India has made a big step in weather science. A new weather system has been launched. This is called the Bharat Forecast System (BFS). It is the world’s highest-resolution weather model. This means it can tell us about weather in a very detailed and correct way.
This system is very important for a country like India. In India, the weather changes often. These changes can affect farming, water, food, and even people’s safety. The Bharat Forecast System will help India prepare better for these changes.
The Bharat Forecast System is a new weather forecasting model. It tells us what the weather will be like in the future. It has been developed in India by Indian scientists. One of the main scientists who worked on this is Parthasarathy Mukhopadhayay.
This system uses the power of a big and fast supercomputer named Arka. This supercomputer is placed at IITM Pune. It is much faster and stronger than the older system named Pratyush.
| Bharat Forecast System Overview | |
| Point | Details |
| Name | Bharat Forecast System (BFS) |
| Launched by | Union Earth Sciences Ministry, Government of India |
| Powered by | Arka Supercomputer at IITM, Pune |
| Supercomputer Capacity | 11.77 Petaflops (Speed), 33 Petabytes (Storage) |
| Replaces | Older system based on Pratyush Supercomputer |
| Forecast Resolution | 6 km x 6 km (Earlier it was 12 km x 12 km) |
| Main Purpose | To give better and faster weather predictions |
| Technology Used | Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) |
| Radar Integration | 40 Doppler Weather Radars (Plan to increase to 100) |
| Nowcast Feature | Gives very short-term 2-hour weather forecast |
| Coverage Area | Tropical regions (30°S to 30°N), including all of India |
| Open Access | Data available to researchers globally for free |
| Partner Organizations | ISRO (INSAT, IRS), UK Met Office, other international bodies |
| Helps In | Disaster warnings, agriculture planning, water management, public safety |
The main goals (objectives) of the Bharat Forecast System are:
The Bharat Forecast System comes with many smart features that make it better than earlier systems:
The Bharat Forecast System (BFS) is a smart new weather model. It will help scientists and weather offices in India tell the weather more quickly, clearly, and correctly.
Let’s see how Bharat Forecast System (BFS) compares with the world’s top weather models:
| Comparison with Other Global Forecast Models | |
| Country | Resolution |
| United Kingdom | 10–14 km |
| United States | 13 km |
| European Union | 9 km |
| India | 6 km |
Weather greatly impacts India’s economy, especially agriculture, which is a major part of the country’s economy. Extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and heatwaves damage crops and affect food supply. This, in turn, raises food prices and causes inflation.
The Bharat Forecast System is a big step for India. It brings better weather predictions, faster updates, and global respect. With the help of the Arka supercomputer, the system can now give 6 km resolution forecasts, which means very accurate and local predictions.
It will help farmers, government, and common people by giving early warnings for weather dangers. It will also help reduce crop losses, food inflation, and disaster risks.
Ready to boost your UPSC 2025 preparation? Join PW’s UPSC online courses today!
.png)
Connect with our experts to get free counselling & start preparing
Download Our App
Download Our App
Books & Magazines
Prelims Wallah (Q&A Bank)
Udaan
Udaan 500+
Budget & Economic Survey
Monthly Current Wallah
Weekly Current Wallah
Editorial Summary
Editorial Q&A Compilation
NCERT Wallah
Prahaar (Mains Wallah)
Marks Booster
Mains Wallah (Q&A Bank)
<div class="new-fform">
</div>
