IITM disdrometer in Himalayan region to understand unique precipitation patterns

PUNE: The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) on Saturday, November 23, installed a cutting-edge disdrometer at Dharamshala’s Kangra Airport Campus in Himachal Pradesh (HP). As per official information, this first-of-its-kind installation in the Himalayan region aims to deepen insights into the area’s unique precipitation patterns and complex weather phenomena. A disdrometer is an instrument that measures the size and velocity of falling precipitation particles such as raindrops, snowflakes and hail.
The initiative is part of IITM’s larger objective to establish a nationwide disdrometer network to study precipitation microphysics in regions with varying climate. The installation was inaugurated by airport director Dhirender Singh in the presence of IITM scientists Dr Kaustav Chakravarty and Harikrishna Devisetty (scientist B) and senior IMD official Vipan Sharma.
Dr Chakravarty said, “This expansion of the disdrometer network shows IITM’s commitment toward improving meteorological research across diverse terrains of India. This device will help us understand micro-level aspects of rainfall in the Himalayan region.”
Dharamshala, nestled in the Kangra Valley of HP, is a serene and picturesque town that offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, tranquillity and cultural heritage. This is also the place in HP with the highest rainfall and logs an annual average rainfall of 3,000 mm, making it an ideal station for analysing winter rainfall due to western disturbances over the orographic region of the Himalayas.