Monitoring of high temperature weather episodes with Satellite data over the Indian region

Abstract

INSAT-3D/3R Geosatellites are in orbit at 74° E and 82° E positions respectively and operating in staggering mode of 15 minute temporal frequency providing continuous coverage in high spatial domain through 6 channel Imager data. Satellite derived geophysical parameters like Outgoing Long wave Radiation (OLR), L and Surface Temperature (LST) and Upper Tropospheric Humidity etc are found to very useful in monitoring the high temperature weather episodes affecting almost entire country like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh (AP), Telengana, Tamilnadu Orissa etc starting from mid of March-2022. The actual temperatures in the above said areas persisting above normal (~ 4 to 7 °C) from Mid March to Mid April-2022 and caused heat wave conditions in most of the places of the country. The persistency of the prevailing heat wave conditions is not only related to surface features but also upper air anticyclonic circulations and sinking of dry air over the affected areas. The entire feedback cycle from lower to middle troposphere operating with dry air mass (Northerly) almost entire Northwest, Central and parts of South (Maharashtra, AP and Telangana) and keep the areas warm and above normal temperature range. The eastward moving systems also not reaching to lower northern latitudes and moving away and keeping away moisture laden winds. This paper brought out the role of INSAT-3D/3R satellite derived products in monitoring such high temperature episodes. Such type of weather events blended with the support of climatological features of prevailing weather systems of the season can be utilized in forecasting and its persistence over the area. It is seen from the study that, the OLR vales threshold ranges from 330-380 watt/m2 in pockets of warmer temperatures or suffering from heat wave conditions. Similarly, the Land surface temperature and UTH values 306-325 °K & 05-25 % respectively. The IPWV values in mm are also varies from 2-12 mm during mid-March to mid-April-2022. The satellite and climatological information can be clubbed together up to village level to help the society and disaster management authorities at state /district level in advance of such high impact weather events. This study is done with limited data sets and in future, it will be carried out for larger domain and a suitable the long period average (LPA) of past INSAT data (daily, monthly, seasonal), so that area wise thresholds can be generated from almost for entire Indian domain.