How to improve monsoon forecast in India

Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have found that data from tropical Pacific Ocean can help provide an improved forecast of the summer monsoon in central India.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Climatology, could help millions of people prepare for the devastating effects of the country's summer monsoon.

"India is one of the most populated countries in the world, and the monsoon rains have not only a significant impact on the national but also the global economy," said lead author of the study Indrani Roy from the University of Exeter in Britain.

The researchers studied 23 different mathematical models designed to predict information about the climate.

They compared them with human observations about the climate and found that models were able to make accurate predictions about the monsoon rain in central India.

The team found that data from tropical Pacific Ocean could help them predict the behaviour of the summer monsoon in this region.

The models did not allow the team to make the same predictions for other regions in India.

"Our findings will improve prediction skills which will contribute to better business performance, economic prosperity and wealth creation. It can directly affect the ability of the sub-continent to anticipate and adapt to changes," Roy noted.

--IANS

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