UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — IMD unveils ‘block-level’ monsoon forecast model
Q1. The block-level monsoon onset forecast model unveiled in May 2026 was developed by which one of the following institutions?
- A. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune
- B. National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida
- C. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad
- D. National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), Thiruvananthapuram
Q2. In the context of IMD's 2026 block-level monsoon system, the 'block-level monsoon onset forecast' precisely refers to which one of the following?
- A. A deterministic prediction of total seasonal rainfall in millimetres over each administrative block
- B. A probabilistic forecast of the date of southwest monsoon arrival at each block, issued up to four weeks in advance
- C. A nowcast of cloudburst risk at 1-km grid resolution updated every six hours
- D. A model-based estimate of optimal kharif sowing dates derived from soil-moisture indices
Q3. With reference to the block-level monsoon onset forecast system launched by IMD in May 2026, consider the following statements:
1. It has been developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
2. Probabilistic forecasts are issued every Wednesday for up to four weeks ahead.
3. Its outputs are disseminated to farmers through the Agri Stack platform of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
4. It generates rainfall forecasts at 1 km spatial resolution up to 10 days in advance for the entire country.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- It has been developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- Probabilistic forecasts are issued every Wednesday for up to four weeks ahead.
- Its outputs are disseminated to farmers through the Agri Stack platform of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- It generates rainfall forecasts at 1 km spatial resolution up to 10 days in advance for the entire country.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 2, 3 and 4 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. The India Meteorological Department, which unveiled the block-level monsoon onset forecast model in May 2026, functions administratively under which one of the following Union Ministries?
- A. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- B. Ministry of Science and Technology
- C. Ministry of Earth Sciences
- D. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Q5. The block-level monsoon onset forecast system launched by IMD in May 2026 covers approximately how many administrative blocks across the monsoon core zone?
- A. About 1,200 blocks
- B. About 3,200 blocks
- C. About 5,400 blocks
- D. About 7,200 blocks