IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra won the award for ‘enhancing tropical cyclone prediction and warning systems in the Indian Ocean region through exceptional leadership and services’.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director general (meteorology) of India Meteorological Department, has won the Outstanding Service Award, 2025, from American Meteorological Society (AMS). He received the award for “enhancing tropical cyclone prediction and warning systems in the Indian Ocean region through exceptional leadership and services”, according to the citation.
A PhD holder in Physics, Mohapatra also serves as India’s Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). With three decades of meterology-related experience in the bag, he was elected the third vice-president of WMO in 2023 for a four-year term.
Mohapatra has vast experience in refining weather-prediction technology.
As part of WMO’s Tropical Cyclone Programme, he helped improve cyclone warning services to 13 WMO/ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) panel member countries. This meant the track & intensity forecast errors up to 72 hours were cut by 25 per cent in 2018-22 compared to 2013-17. Landfall errors, meanwhile, were down 40-70 per cent, according to the WMO website.
‘Weather forecasting challenging’
Speaking to The Indian Express earlier this month, Mohaptra had said that weather forecasting has become very challenging in evolving climatic conditions.
“Climate change is leading to increased frequency and uncertainty in extreme weather events. It is also seen that drier regions are getting increased rainfall and wet regions are receiving lesser rainfall. Localised extreme events have increased, like higher intensity rainfall is occurring in lesser time duration,” the former Physics lecturer had said.
Keeping the evolving climate scenario in mind, India Meteorological Department, the country’s premier weather forecasting agency, launched Mission Mausam in 2024 as it stepped into its 150th year of existence.
Over the years, Mohapatra has chaired many WMO committees, such as the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (2017-18) and the executive council of South Asia Hydromet Forum.
He has served as an expert member on nearly a dozen WMO committees including the International Organising Committee for 8th & 9th International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones and the expert team on climate impact on tropical cyclones
Who wins the award?
The Outstanding Service Award is given to an individual who has made significant contributions to the committee/board of the Scientific and Technological Activities Commission (STAC) or in service to the larger community in the committee/board discipline, according to the AMS website.
There are two other awards, namely, Outstanding Early Career Award and Distinguished Scientific/Technological Accomplishment Award.
He has served as an expert member on nearly a dozen WMO committees including the International Organising Committee for 8th & 9th International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones and the expert team on climate impact on tropical cyclones
Who wins the award?
The Outstanding Service Award is given to an individual who has made significant contributions to the committee/board of the Scientific and Technological Activities Commission (STAC) or in service to the larger community in the committee/board discipline, according to the AMS website.
There are two other awards, namely, Outstanding Early Career Award and Distinguished Scientific/Technological Accomplishment Award.
source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)