IMD Regional Meteorological Centre Opens at Lucknow

New Regional Meteorological Centre opens at Lucknow

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Battle Brief

A new Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) of the India Meteorological Department opened at Lucknow on 8 June 2026. It will serve Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and adjoining regions. UP had one Doppler Weather Radar in 2014; three now work, and six more are being commissioned. Nationally, radars rose from 17 to 50.

Fact File

Release: 8 Jun 2026, Ministry of Earth Sciences
Centre: Regional Meteorological Centre, Lucknow
Area served: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and adjoining regions
UP radars: 1 (2014) to 3 now; six more coming
UP stations: AWS 59 to 107; rain gauges 132 to 140; lightning sensors 0 to 7
India radars: 17 (2014) to 50; about 100 planned under Mission Mausam in two years

In the news

The Regional Meteorological Centre at Lucknow: what happened?

Uttar Pradesh faces floods, droughts, heatwaves, thunderstorms and lightning, often in the same year. A regional weather centre close to the State means forecasts and warnings can be more local and reach faster.

The Union Minister for Earth Sciences and the UP Chief Minister jointly launched the RMC.
Aviation weather services now run at eleven airports in UP.
Uttarakhand, which had no Doppler radar earlier, now has three.

Back Story

What does a Regional Meteorological Centre do?

It handles monitoring, forecasting and the spread of weather warnings for a group of States, so that services are less centralised.
Lucknow will also get more Doppler radars and wind profilers, with State Government support.

By the numbers

What do the UP numbers show?

Weather observation network in Uttar Pradesh (PIB, MoES, 8 Jun 2026)
Instrument	Earlier	Now
Doppler Weather Radars	1 (2014)	3 (six more being commissioned)
Automatic Weather Stations	59	107
Automatic Rain Gauge stations	132	140
Lightning sensors	0	7

Why examiners care

Why does the Regional Meteorological Centre at Lucknow matter?

Disaster management: Earlier warnings for floods, heatwaves and lightning in UP.
Agriculture and aviation: Local forecasts for farmers and eleven UP airports.

Exam Radar

What can Prelims ask on the Regional Meteorological Centre at Lucknow?

RMC Lucknow (8 Jun 2026) covers UP, Uttarakhand and adjoining regions.
India: 17 Doppler radars in 2014, 50 now; about 100 targeted under Mission Mausam.
UP lightning sensors: 0 to 7.

UPPCS Corner

What should UPPCS aspirants note?

UP gets its own IMD Regional Meteorological Centre at Lucknow. Note the UP figures: radars 1 to 3, AWS 59 to 107, lightning sensors 0 to 7, and aviation weather at eleven airports.

How to use this in Mains

GS-I Important geophysical phenomena; monsoon

As per PIB (2026-06-08): A new IMD Regional Meteorological Centre was launched at Lucknow.
UP gets better warnings for floods, heatwaves and lightning.

Quotable data point
UP's Doppler Weather Radars rose from 1 in 2014 to 3, with 6 more coming; automatic weather stations from 59 to 107; lightning sensors from 0 to 7.
PIB: MoES: RMC Lucknow, 8 Jun 2026

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPSC

The Regional Meteorological Centre opened at Lucknow in June 2026 will mainly serve

Answer (b) & explanation

PIB (MoES), 8 Jun 2026.

Practice · UPSC

Under Mission Mausam, India's Doppler Weather Radar network is to reach about

Answer (c) & explanation

PIB (MoES), 8 Jun 2026: 50 now, another 50 proposed.

Quick questions

Questions students ask about this

Which areas will RMC Lucknow cover?

Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and adjoining regions.

How many Doppler Weather Radars does India have?

50, up from 17 in 2014; about 100 are planned under Mission Mausam over two years.

How many Doppler radars does UP have?

Three are operational, against one in 2014, and six more are being commissioned.