India, UK sign accord to help improve weather forecasts

India and the United Kingdom today signed an accord to strengthen collaboration in the field of earth sciences and help improve forecasts about climate- related phenomena.
The Memorandum of Understanding was inked by representatives of Natural Environment Research Council of the UK (NERC) and Earth System Science Organization, Ministry of Earth Sciences (ESSO-MoES) here in the presence of Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences S Jaipal Reddy.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Reddy said this kind of bilateral cooperation agreement will help improve forecasting capabilities of various weather and climate- related phenomena and natural hazards through sharing of knowledge, expertise and experience.

He also pledged support to NERC in the exercise.
Reference was also made about digitisation of past weather records in the UK and officials here said the process was in final stages in India. Reddy also stressed on the need for preservation of past climate records for prediction purposes.