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.

Bharat Forecast System

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.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

Bharat Forecast System Objectives

The main goals (objectives) of the Bharat Forecast System are:

• Faster Forecasts: Arka can run the forecast model in just 4 hours. Earlier it took 10 hours.
• More Accurate Data: BFS gives weather updates for every 6 km grid. The older system gave updates every 12 km. This helps in knowing weather in small areas like villages.
• Better for All India: The BFS uses data from 40 Doppler Weather Radars. These radars watch the sky for weather changes. Soon, 100 radars will be added.
• Local Predictions (Nowcasts): BFS can also give nowcasts. Nowcasts are short-term weather updates for the next 2 hours.
• World Collaboration: BFS data will be open to all researchers. Scientists across the world can use it. This helps global studies too.
• Climate-Resilient Future: BFS helps in reducing crop loss, flood damage, and food price rise by giving early weather warnings.

Bharat Forecast System Features 

The Bharat Forecast System comes with many smart features that make it better than earlier systems:

• Highest Resolution: With a 6 km grid size, BFS gives very fine-level weather predictions, which means even small towns and villages get personalized forecasts.
• Fast Processing: Using the Arka supercomputer, BFS can complete forecasts in just 4 hours.
• Tropical Focus: The system is designed especially for the tropical region, between 30° South and 30° North latitude, where India lies. This region has very dynamic and variable weather, and BFS is built to handle it.
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: These are used to improve accuracy and reduce errors in forecasting.
• Open Access for Scientists: Unlike many global models, BFS allows scientists across the world to access and use its data for research.

How Will the New System Improve Weather Predictions?

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. 

• Better Resolution for Forecasts: The Bharat Forecast System (BFS) provides weather predictions for small grids of 6 km by 6 km. This is an improvement over older models, which predicted weather for larger 12 km by 12 km areas. Smaller grids mean more precise and accurate local forecasts.
• Use of Doppler Weather Radars: BFS uses data from 40 Doppler Weather Radars located across India. These radars collect real-time weather data like rainfall, wind, and storms, which helps BFS create detailed forecasts.
• Expansion of Radar Network: The number of Doppler radars will gradually increase to 100. This expansion will allow the BFS to provide nowcasts—short-term weather forecasts for the next two hours—covering the entire country.
• Focus on Tropical Region: BFS provides high-resolution forecasts for the tropical region between 30 degrees South and 30 degrees North latitude. Since India lies between approximately 8.4 degrees and 37.6 degrees North latitude, the system is well-suited for India’s climate.

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

Comparison with Global Models

Let’s see how Bharat Forecast System (BFS) compares with the world’s top weather models:

Importance of BFS for India’s Economy

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.

• India’s Economic Survey highlighted that extreme weather has caused more crop damage in 2024 than in previous years. Heatwaves have also become more frequent, affecting food production. For example, from 2022 to 2024, heatwaves happened on 18% of days, compared to only 5% in 2020-2021.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also warned that weather changes affect prices of vegetables and other food items. To keep food prices stable, India needs to develop weather-resistant crops and improve forecasting to reduce crop losses.
• BFS will help by giving accurate and early warnings about weather extremes. Farmers can prepare better, and government agencies can plan water use and food distribution efficiently. This will help reduce crop damage and control inflation, benefiting the whole economy.

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!