Isro satellites keep an eye on cyclone Dana: How is real-time data shared

The Indian Space Research Organisation has been actively monitoring the cyclone situation since October 20, ensuring that accurate data is provided to officials for effective action planning

Cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ caused widespread devastation after making landfall in Odisha on Thursday night, leading to heavy rainfall, uprooted trees, and significant disruption to daily life. While no deaths were reported due to the cyclone, more than six lakh people were evacuated to safety shelters in the wake of the situation. 

 

Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhadrak districts are the worst affected regions. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that all the roads blocked by uprooted trees would be cleared by 1 pm on Friday. He also said that the electricity is expected to be back by 6 pm. Following the evacuation of 4,431 pregnant women, more than 1,600 babies were born during this period at various health care centres, he said, noting that they were all in good health.

 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has been actively monitoring the cyclone situation since October 20, ensuring that accurate data is provided to officials for effective action planning, the space agency said in a post on X. The National Disaster Response Force, state teams, police and health officials are on an alert to mitigate the impact of the cyclone.

EOS-6 and INSAT-3DR satellites track cyclone Dana

To help them, the Isro is using its polar-orbiting satellite EOS-06 and geostationary satellite INSAT-3DR to track cyclone Dana and provide real-time data. EOS-06 satellite is used to detect ocean wind patterns, which can be helpful in having advanced knowledge to implement optimal safety measures. 

 

EOS-6 is a third-generation satellite in Isro’s Oceansat series. It has four payloads including, the Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3); Sea Surface Temperature Monitor; Ku-Band Scatterometer (SCAT-3), and ARGOS. EOS-6 uses these payloads to find data about ocean colour and wind vectors, which help in weather predictions.

 

The high winds associated with the cyclone can be effectively monitored by the satellite, which uses optical and microwave remote sensing data. The Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) senses the Earth in 13 distinct wavelengths to gather the relevant information.

Real-time cloud monitoring

The INSAT-3DR satellite delivers real-time cloud data, helping authorities make informed decisions. It has two main meteorological payloads (imager and sounder), which are used to provide environmental and storm warning.

 

According to Isro, INSAR-3DR monitors Earth’s surfaces and oceanic patterns by processing data in four steps. First, the ground receiving system captures the satellite data. Then, the Data Reception (DR) system converts this raw data into Level 0 (L0) files. Then, the Data Processing (DP) system processes the L0 files to produce Level 1B (L1B) data files. Finally, the Product Generation and Dissemination System distributes the processed data. INSAT-3DR operates at 74 degrees east longitude.