VIJAYAWADA: With the southwest monsoon officially underway, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) jointly convened a stakeholders’ conference at Kondapavuluru near Vijayawada to review the 2026 monsoon outlook, preparedness measures, and multi-hazard weather warning services.
IMD Director General Dr M Mohapatra, addressing the meet via video conference from New Delhi, urged disaster management agencies and government departments to act on early warnings to minimise loss of life and property.
He explained how large climate systems such as El Niño, La Niña, Indian Ocean Dipole, and Madden Julian Oscillation influence rainfall distribution, often causing floods in one region and drought in another.
Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna and Godavari basins, he noted, are particularly vulnerable to depressions forming in the Bay of Bengal.
Experts highlighted the orographic effect of the Eastern Ghats, which intensifies rainfall in northern Andhra and southern Odisha, and warned that high tides coinciding with floods could trigger coastal inundation.
IMD showcased its Decision Support System, impact-based forecasts, and mobile apps like Mausam and Krishi Nidhi that provide crop-specific advisories to farmers.
Officials projected normal to above-normal rainfall in Central Andhra Pradesh this year, with June expected to bring good showers.