IMD Cyclone Warning and Marine Weather DSS Launched on 12 October 2026

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched its public-facing Cyclone Warning and Marine Weather Services Decision Support System (DSS) on 12 October 2026, at its pre-cyclone exercise meeting for the October–December 2026 post-monsoon season. The tool puts cyclone and marine hazard information on one interactive map for the public, coastal communities, disaster-management authorities and maritime users. The launch is reported in a GKToday item dated 13 October 2026, so the event date (12 October) and the report date (13 October) are different.

Quick facts: what happened and when

What the DSS offers

Map-based forecast information

The platform uses WebGIS, a web-based geographic information system that shows data on digital maps. It brings together cyclone tracks, forecast intensity, wind information, rainfall warnings and storm surge information. A storm surge is an abnormal rise in sea level caused mainly by a cyclone's winds and atmospheric pressure.

Rainfall and track-uncertainty features

• Rainfall forecasts for river catchments.
• District-level rainfall warnings.
• A "cone of uncertainty", which shows the area within which a cyclone's track is expected to remain.

Where users can find it

The platform is available through the IMD website and the website of the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) New Delhi. The supplied evidence gives no direct web address for the tool, so none is listed here.

Why it matters

The tool gathers hazard information that users would otherwise need to read from separate forecasts. Strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge are all covered in a single map interface. The audience is wide: the public, coastal communities, disaster managers and maritime users. The timing matters because the launch came during the October–December post-monsoon season, when cyclones commonly occur in the north Indian Ocean. The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are part of that basin.

Exam-relevant background

• IMD: India's national meteorological service, established in 1875, working under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Its functions include weather forecasting, cyclone warnings and services for aviation, shipping and agriculture.
• RSMC New Delhi: provides tropical cyclone advisories for the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
• Participating bodies: the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were among those represented at the meeting.

Do not confuse it with MHEW-DSS

A separate PIB explainer dated 2 April 2026 describes IMD's Multi-Hazard Early Warning Decision Support System (MHEW-DSS). That is a webGIS-based forecasting platform developed in-house under Mission Mausam and launched in January 2024. It covers cyclones, heavy rainfall, heatwaves, thunderstorms and marine conditions. The sources do not say how the October 2026 cyclone and marine DSS relates to MHEW-DSS, so learners should treat them as separately named systems.

What the sources do not settle

• The launch details come from a single secondary report. The supplied evidence has no IMD or PIB release on this launch.
• No source gives a web address for the tool or its performance figures.
• The PIB explainer's figures (such as forecast accuracy and cost savings) describe MHEW-DSS, not this launch, and should not be attributed to it.

FAQ

When was the Cyclone Warning and Marine Weather DSS launched?

On 12 October 2026, during IMD's pre-cyclone exercise meeting. The report is dated 13 October 2026.

What is WebGIS in this context?

It is a web-based geographic information system that shows data on digital maps. The DSS uses it to display cyclone tracks, intensity, wind, rainfall and storm surge information.

Practice MCQs

Question 1

On which date did IMD launch its public-facing Cyclone Warning and Marine Weather Services DSS?

1. 9 October 2026
2. 12 October 2026
3. 13 October 2026
4. 1 October 2026

Answer: 12 October 2026 — the launch took place at the pre-cyclone exercise meeting on that date.

Question 2

Which technology does the new IMD platform use to display cyclone and marine weather information on digital maps?

1. WebGIS
2. Doppler radar only
3. Ocean buoy network
4. Paper chart plotting

Answer: WebGIS — the platform is described as an interactive WebGIS-based system.

Question 3

How many stakeholders, disaster managers and media representatives attended the 9 October 2026 training workshop where the DSS was demonstrated?

1. Around 230
2. More than 30
3. More than 650
4. Exactly 1,000

Answer: More than 650 — the workshop on 9 October 2026 drew more than 650 attendees. The figure of around 230 refers to the 12 October meeting.

Question 4

Under which ministry does the India Meteorological Department function?

1. Ministry of Home Affairs
2. Ministry of Earth Sciences
3. Ministry of Defence
4. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Answer: Ministry of Earth Sciences — both the GKToday and PIB material place IMD under this ministry.

Question 5

What does the "cone of uncertainty" feature of the DSS present?

1. The area within which a cyclone's track is expected to remain
2. The list of districts that have been evacuated
3. The depth of the sea floor
4. The ports closed during a cyclone

Answer: The area within which a cyclone's track is expected to remain — this is how the platform's feature is described.