**6. Ongoing activities and possible recommendations for future**

In order to improve the prediction of TC predictability over BOB region, the modernization of the observational system is being carried out by IMD, which includes setting up of two clusters of surface meso-meteorological networks: one along the coasts of Odisha-West Bengal and the other around Andhra Pradesh coasts [2]. About 443 numbers of existing automatic weather station (AWS) are there set up in different states of India. For NIO basin, it is considered very important to acquire weather reconnaissance aircraft facility to provide information on environmental winds and thermodynamical structures in the inner core region of TCs. The FDP (2008) is an attempt in this direction to determine the possible improvements in track and landfall predictions by using aircraft data.

The programmes named as STORM and PRWONAM are carried out with the support of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES) and Department of Science and Technology. MOES is also involved in strengthening of the deep ocean and met-ocean buoys network. In addition, IMD has established high wind speed recorder systems, S-band Doppler radars and Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment along the coastal areas of India [79]. Under the Indo-French collaboration, Oceansat-II (was functional till 2014) and MEGHA-TROPIQUES satellite with capability of repeated scanning over BOB region are/were functional to provide data related to sea surface winds, clouds, humidity, temperature, rainfall and radiation. The earth receiving stations for METOP and MODIS satellite data have been installed at IMD. Products like cloud motion vector (CMV), water vapour wind (WVW), out-going longwave radiation (OLR), quantitative precipitation estimate (QPE), Sea Surface Temperature (SST), upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) and cloud top temperature (CTT) are derived from other satellites including KALPANA-1 and INSAT-3D.

Several research institutes such as National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, Noida; Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad; Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Air Force and academic institutes including IITs (Indian Institute of Technology), NITs (National Institute of Technology), universities contribute towards providing their valuable input through academic research regarding various aspects of TC activity over NIO region. With these inputs and in-house research and development, IMD has been able to strengthen its capability in recent past, both from numerical modelling as well as observational point of view by taking into account both in situ and satellite measurements.

Despite increased capability for TC prediction over NIO region, few aspects still need to be addressed. Those key areas include accuracy in track prediction, time and place of landfall, accurate storm surge prediction and improving the intensity predictability. In addition, the changes in tropical cyclogenesis need to be understood in the changing climate scenario. It is because the severity of TCs is found to be increasing in the warming environment [75]. The improvement in numerical model predictions can be done by improving physical parameterization schemes, incorporating observations from different sources including those from satellites and radars in the model initial and boundary conditions through appropriate data assimilation techniques and considering improved SSTs. In addition, better disaster management need to be done alongside in order to reduce the loss of lives and properties.

## **Author details**

Kasturi Singh, Jagabandhu Panda\* , Krishna K. Osuri and Naresh Krishna Vissa

\*Address all correspondence to: pandaj@nitrkl.ac.in

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Odisha, India
