SkyCast System

About SkyCast System:

• It is an advanced integrated aviation weather monitoring system.
• It is developed under "Mission Mausam".
• The scientific foundation of SkyCast comes from the Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX), jointly initiated by IITM and IMD under the Ministry of Earth Sciences at IGI Airport in 2015. 
• India becomes 19th in the world to deploy advanced integrated aviation weather monitoring system.
• Key Features of SkyCast System:
  • The system integrates state-of-the-art atmospheric remote sensing technologies which includes:
    • Radar Wind Profiler: It forms the core of the system and measures wind speed, wind direction, turbulence, vertical velocity and boundary-layer dynamics.
    • Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer (GFAS): It is an advanced fog monitoring instruments which provides detailed information on fog droplets, aerosols and aerosol-fog interactions. 
    • CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer: It monitors the vertical structure of fog and visibility conditions in real time.
    • It improves understanding of fog formation and atmospheric behaviour affecting aviation operations.
  • It brings together real-time measurements of fog, aerosols, turbulence, moisture, visibility and atmospheric conditions into a single advanced aviation weather intelligence framework.
  • It can assess atmospheric conditions from the surface up to nearly 10 km altitude and generate aviation meteorological parameters (wind shear, turbulence, fog formation indicators and icing potential).
• Significance:
  • It will provide real-time weather intelligence to Pilots, reducing flight delays, diversions and cancellations caused by fog and turbulence.
  • It will support advanced forecasting models, artificial intelligence-enabled decision support systems, urban weather forecasting, pollution management, transport advisories and disaster preparedness initiatives.