Sudden downpours, shifting skies, and flash floods — Kerala knows the story all too well. But now, the state is working on a smarter way to stay a step ahead of weather disasters.
A new mobile app, set to be launched by the Institute for Climate Change Studies (ICCS) under the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), could make a real difference. The aim? To offer real-time alerts for extreme rainfall and disaster-prone events like landslides — something Kerala has been struggling with during heavy monsoons.
The app, currently being developed by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), is designed to provide location-specific forecasts. Instead of just giving a snapshot of daily weather, it will track cumulative rainfall — which is often the real culprit behind floods and landslides. Users might receive alerts based on the rainfall in their specific area over a 15-day period, helping them stay informed and better prepared.
“In Wayanad, before last year’s landslides, the area had several days of extreme rain. It’s not one rainy day that causes a landslide – it’s the buildup,” said ICCS director K Rajendran. “This app will tap into that pattern and alert people early.”
While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) already provides rainfall data and forecasts, this app is expected to fill in the gaps. By combining satellite imagery with ground-level data from local observatories, the system aims to issue alerts that are both timely and area-specific.
And then there’s the ‘nowcasting’ feature — developed by ICCS in collaboration with IIT Madras, IIT Palakkad, and Purdue University. Published in PLOS Climate, the method uses micro-details like cloud droplet size and temperature to forecast extreme rain events up to six hours in advance, with what researchers claim is over 93% accuracy.
Western Ghats districts are often in the eye of the storm during monsoon. ICCS says the new app could play a key role here, especially by giving people a six-hour warning window during intense rainfall conditions.
K P Sudheer, executive vice-president of KSCSTE and principal secretary for science and technology, noted that a memorandum of understanding is being prepared with IMD for data sharing. That could mean even more precision in local forecasts.
Initially, the app was meant to launch before the arrival of monsoon rains in June. But development delays have pushed that back. KSUM has reportedly sought around 70 more days to complete the work. A launch before September is now the goal.
“We want to make it a platform that pulls in rain data from all departments and even private players,” said Rajendran.
