Examine how enhanced High-Performance Computing capacity strengthens India's weather and climate forecasting capabilities.

Q. Examine how enhanced High-Performance Computing capacity strengthens India's weather and climate forecasting capabilities. (15 marks, 250 words)

Weather prediction is fundamentally a computational problem: forecasts improve as models resolve the atmosphere at finer scales, which demands greater processing power. Under Mission Mausam (Ministry of Earth Sciences, launched 14 January 2025), India augmented its High-Performance Computing (HPC) capacity precisely to make the nation "Weather-ready and Climate-smart" [2].

Higher-resolution numerical weather prediction - HPC systems ARKA (11.77 PF) and ARUNIKA (8.24 PF) raised MoES computing capacity to 21.91 petaflops, enabling finer model grids [1]. - Denser grids improve localised, impact-based forecasting of cyclones, floods and heatwaves, sharpening early-warning lead times.

AI/ML-driven modelling - A dedicated 1.9 PF AI/ML system supports data-driven models that assimilate satellite and radar observations faster than conventional physics-only methods [1]. - This upgrades the Earth-System-approach forecasting run jointly by IMD, IITM and NCMRWF [2].

Denser observation-to-forecast pipeline - Expanded HPC lets the growing Doppler Weather Radar network (dozens of new radars planned by 2026) feed real-time data into models without processing bottlenecks [3]. - Better throughput underpins agricultural, aviation and disaster-preparedness advisories.

Caveats - Compute alone is insufficient without observational density, skilled manpower and last-mile dissemination via NDMA channels.

Enhanced HPC thus converts richer observational data into timely, granular forecasts—the computational backbone of climate resilience. Sustained investment in radars, model physics and warning dissemination will let Mission Mausam translate petaflops into lives and livelihoods saved, advancing India's disaster-management and SDG-13 climate goals.

(~250 words)

Sources: 1. Mission Mausam Unveiled: ₹2,000 crore initiative (PIB, MoES) — outlay, ARKA/ARUNIKA and AI/ML HPC systems, 21.91 petaflops 2. Parliament Question: Status of Implementation of Mission Mausam (PIB) — launch date, objectives, executing agencies IMD/IITM/NCMRWF 3. Parliament Question: Mission Mausam to Boost the Radar Network (PIB) — Doppler Weather Radar network expansion