Union Minister of Earth Sciences  Dr. Jitendra Singh today launched the Bharat Forecasting System, BFS, in New Delhi today. Developed by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology , the Bharat Forecasting System will provide forecasts with a 6-kilometer resolution-the highest in the world-which will allow the meteorological department to predict small-scale weather features more accurately.

The system has been experimental since 2022 and is finally ready for operation. The system will boost monsoon tracking, aviation, cyclone and disaster management, agriculture, waterways, defence, flood forecasting, and also support key ministries.

The BFS , which will be operational up to the Panchayat level, is expected to help address extreme rainfall events, among other things. The new model allows a horizontal resolution of about 6 km, which is typically the size of a cluster or panchayat. It has been in experimental mode for over three years and has demonstrated notable improvements. The Bharat FS is the only global numerical weather prediction system in the world that is deployed at such a high resolution, representing a major advancement in India’s forecasting capabilities.