PM Modi Launches Advanced HPC System in Pune to Boost Weather Forecasting Capabilities
Pune, 27th September 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially launched an advanced High-Performance Computing (HPC) system designed to revolutionize weather and climate research in India. This cutting-edge technology, acquired by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, represents a significant milestone in the nation’s efforts to enhance the accuracy of weather forecasts, particularly for extreme events.
The HPC project, backed by an investment of ₹850 crore, boosts India’s computational capacity, placing it at the forefront of global weather and climate forecasting. The system is housed at two strategic locations: the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) in Noida.
The Pune facility at IITM now boasts a system with a remarkable capacity of 11.77 PetaFLOPS and 33 petabytes of storage, while NCMRWF’s Noida unit is equipped with 8.24 PetaFLOPS and 24 petabytes of storage. A separate standalone system designed specifically for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications has also been introduced, featuring a capacity of 1.9 PetaFLOPS.
With the addition of these new systems, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has seen a substantial upgrade in its computational power, increasing from 6.8 PetaFLOPS to an impressive 22 PetaFLOPS. This significant boost will enable the ministry to deliver more precise weather forecasts, especially for extreme weather conditions like tropical cyclones, heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall.
In line with tradition, the new HPC systems have been named after solar-related celestial entities, continuing the legacy of previous systems such as Aditya, Bhaskara, Pratyush, and Mihir. The newly inaugurated systems have been christened ‘Arka’ and ‘Arunika,’ symbolizing their link to Surya, the sun, which drives Earth’s climate and weather systems.
Hon. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates ₹850 crore HPC system @iitmpune and @ncmrwfmoes boosting weather & climate forecasting to 22 Peta FLOPS. Arka & Arunika systems to predict cyclones, droughts, & more. AI/ML-driven, improving disaster readiness & resilience. pic.twitter.com/S61vhlmNU5
— IITM Pune (@iitmpune) September 26, 2024
The enhanced computational capabilities will allow scientists to develop more sophisticated models utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, improving the delivery of weather-related services. These systems will also improve the resolution of regional weather models, achieving a precision of 1 kilometer or less over certain Indian regions.
By leveraging these state-of-the-art HPC systems, the Ministry of Earth Sciences aims to significantly improve the accuracy and lead time of forecasts, helping to better predict and respond to climate variability and extreme weather events.
