Kolkata airport to install new weather forecast devices

• Kolkata airport is installing a new radar and wind profiling machine to improve forecasting accuracy and make air travel safer
• Currently, the airport relies on a doppler radar placed 15 kms away for weather data which is not always perfect
• The officials are looking for a 10-storey building within 10 kms of the airport to install the new machinery and have approached the state government for permission to use Mrittika Bhavan building in Salt Lake

Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is set to install a new radar and wind profiling machine to improve the accuracy of weather forecasting, enabling airlines to plan their routes more effectively and avoid inclement weather systems. The current system relies on a doppler radar situated on top of a building around 15 kilometers from the airport, which can result in less-than-perfect predictions.

The new system will be situated within 10 kilometers of the airport, on a high-rise building with the capacity to make better predictions based on wind speed closer to the airport. Officials have already received in-principle sanction for the new machinery and are currently searching for a 10-storey building within the radius specified.

Airport officials have been eyeing Mrittika Bhavan, a government building in Salt Lake, which is less than 8 kilometers away from the airport, to house the new machinery. Talks are currently ongoing with the state government for the use of its roof for the installation of the new devices. The new system will measure vertical wind shear, turbulence level, and crosswind and will be used to provide related data and issue warnings. 

The new radar and wind profilers will combine the output of different sensors, perform appropriate quality controls, and display all dedicated information on a screen.

Since turbulence in the skies has become a significant concern, following a plane carrying Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Varanasi to Kolkata that was caught in turbulence in March last year, the emphasis on tracking weather systems and turbulence in advance has increased. The turbulence led to Banerjee suffering a waist injury when the flight made a steep climb-down to cope with the turbulence.

The Met department and air traffic control (ATC) officials have been inducted into the mandatory security meeting before any VIP movement through Kolkata airport.