Bharat Forecast System: India's Highest-Resolution Weather Model
What is the Bharat Forecast System?
BFS is a global numerical weather prediction model built on a Triangular-Cubic-Octahedral (TCO) grid that resolves the atmosphere at roughly 6 km over the tropics — a step up from the 12 km resolution of the earlier Global Forecast System. Finer grids capture localised convection, allowing panchayat-level forecasts of heavy rain, thunderstorms and cloudbursts.
- Developed by IITM Pune under the Ministry of Earth Sciences; runs on the 'Arka' high-performance computer at IITM.
- Uses data from a Doppler weather radar network expanded to over 40 radars nationwide.
- Improves forecast accuracy for extreme rainfall events by an estimated 30 per cent in trials.
Why It Matters
- Agriculture: block-level forecasts help farmers time sowing, irrigation and harvesting.
- Disaster management: earlier and sharper warnings for flash floods and cloudbursts in the Himalaya and Western Ghats.
- Urban resilience: nowcasting for cities prone to extreme rain, like Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Test Yourself
2 graded questions · Prelims format
With reference to the Bharat Forecast System, consider the following statements:
- 1.It has been developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.
- 2.It operates at a horizontal resolution of about 6 kilometres.
- 3.It is a regional model that covers only the Indian landmass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Previous Year Questions on this topic
Consider the following: 1. Battery storage 2. Biomass generators 3. Fuel cells 4. Rooftop solar photovoltaic units. How many of the above are considered 'Distributed Energy Resources'?
Consider the following actions: 1. Detection of car crash/collision which results in the deployment of airbags almost instantaneously. 2. Detection of accidental free fall of a laptop towards the ground which results in the immediate turning off of the hard drive. 3. Detection of the tilt of the smartphone which results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode. In how many of the above actions is the function of accelerometer required?
Related Reading
Picked by shared GS paper & subject tags
India's Ramsar Tally Reaches 91: Wetlands in Focus
Two Rajasthan wetlands — Khichan and Menar — were designated Wetlands of International Importance, taking India's Ramsar count to 91 and reinforcing its lead in Asia.
Digital Personal Data Protection Rules: What Changes for Citizens
The DPDP Rules operationalise consent, data-fiduciary obligations and the Data Protection Board — the long-awaited machinery that makes India's 2023 data protection law enforceable.
National Green Hydrogen Mission Gathers Pace
Production-linked incentives, electrolyser capacity auctions and green hydrogen hubs at three ports position India as a prospective exporter — if costs fall and demand-side mandates follow.