1.

Responsible Services

1.1.

The Meteorological Services for civil aviation are provided by the India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India.

Director General of Meteorology

India Meteorological Department

Mausam Bhavan, Lodhi Road,

New Delhi - 110003

Telephone: 91 11 2461 8241 to 8247

Fax: 91 11 2469 9216, 91 11 2462 3220

Telegram: DIRGENMET

Email: dgm@imdmail.gov.in

Website: www.imd.gov.in

2.

Area of responsibility

2.1.

Meteorological service is provided within the Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai FIR

3.

Meteorological observations and reports

3.1.

Meteorological observations and reports provided are listed at page GEN 3.5-4.

4.

Abbreviation and Legend

5.

Types of services

5.1.

Area Forecast

5.1.1.

Under the World Area Forecast system, WAFC London is responsible for the forecast of upper winds, upper-air temperatures, direction, speed and height of maximum winds and tropopause heights and temperatures. The products are valid for 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 hours after the time of synoptic data (0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC) on which the forecasts are based. The grid point data for upper wind and temperature are available for flight levels 50 (850hPa), 100 (700hPa), 140 (600hPa), 180 (500hPa), 240 (400hPa), 300 (300hPa), 340 (250hPa), 390 (200hPa) and 450 (150hPa).

5.1.2.

Forecast of significant weather phenomena are also prepared by WAFC London, four times a day for fixed valid times of 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC. Significant weather charts for FL250-FL630 is being used in India for the documentation of international flights as well as national long-haul flights.

5.1.3.

These charts are received by a Satellite Distribution System (SADIS) receive only antenna installed at IMD-Delhi and disseminated through IMD’s communication channel to forecasting offices.

5.1.4.

In addition, national SIGWX charts and prognostic charts are also being prepared by the four Extended Analysis and Prognosis Center (EAPC) functioning at Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai for the documentation of national short-haul flights.

5.2.

Route and Aerodrome Forecasts

5.2.1.

Route Forecast, aerodrome forecast, local forecasts and trend forecasts are issued by Aerodrome Meteorological Office (Offices having forecasting facilities). During the closed hours of watch of the offices with restricted forecasting hours, the necessary forecasts are issued by the meteorological offices at state/regional centers. These forecasts for the Aeronautical Meteorological Stations (offices not having forecasting facilities) are issued by associated AMOs.

5.3.

Aerodrome Warning/Wind Shear Warnings

5.3.1.

Aerodrome warnings are issued by Aerodrome Meteorological Offices functioning during the hours of forecasting watch and give concise information of meteorological condition, which could adversely affect aircraft on the ground, including parked aircraft and the aerodrome facilities and services. In cases of aerodromes with Aeronautical Meteorological Stations, the associated Aerodrome Meteorological Office, at the state centers or regional centers, issue these warnings, if there is prior requisition.

5.3.2.

These warnings are supplied to ATS units of Airports Authority of India for further dissemination over the aerodrome to operators and other agencies.

5.3.3.

Aerodrome warnings are issued for strong surface winds, tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, squall, dust storm/sand storm, hail, frost, snow, freezing precipitation etc.

5.3.4.

In addition, warnings for gliders and light aircraft and helicopters are issued and appended to the Local forecast when the wind speed is expected to reach 17 knot or more.

6.

Briefing and Display

6.1.

In all Aerodrome Meteorological Office which are having forecasting facility, briefing is available to the pilots and/or flight operations personnel about the prevailing and anticipated weather conditions. Latest surface and upper-air synoptic charts, meteorological reports and forecasts of destination and its alternate(s), SIGMET information, AIREP, prognostic charts, ground based weather radar information and satellite cloud imagery are normally displayed in meteorological offices and are available for consultation and briefing. Depending on the weather situation, the meteorological officer may insist that the pilot in command of a flight be present personally for briefing. Briefing is also provided at Aeronautical Meteorological Stations (where forecasting facility is not available) after obtaining the same from its associated AMO.

7.

Documentation

7.1.

Documentation consists of -

7.1.1.

Flight forecast in tabular form/pictorial cross sectional form/chart form

7.1.2.

Terminal aerodrome forecasts of destination and alternate aerodrome

7.1.3.

Take-off and ascent/descent data (wherever necessary) are provided to flights taking off from airports within the country.

7.2.

The chart form of forecast for domestic short-haul flights consists of prognostic significant weather charts below FL460 and prognostic upper wind and temperature charts for the level 300hPa, 250hPa and 200hPa prepared by four MWOs. The chart form of forecast for international and national longhaul flights consists of charts obtained from WAFC as per para 5.1.1. Chart form of documentation is prepared at Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai and the same are made available for briefing at all AMOs and AMSs concerned. Forecasts are normally given up to the next halt where a meteorological forecasting office exists, when the duration of the halt is more than seventy-five minutes.

7.3.

Return forecasts are provided for flights when the halt at the destination is less than 75 minutes and there is no change of crew. If sufficient notice is given, arrangements are also made to provide documentation even at airports without meteorological forecasting facility. If planned halt(s) at intermediate airports are for long periods, a decision whether fresh forecasts will be required at intermediate halt(s), will have to be taken by mutual consultation between the pilot and the meteorological office at the original departure aerodrome taking into consideration the expected weather developments.

7.4.

A fresh forecast has to be obtained at intermediate halts when the period of validity of the route and/or aerodrome forecasts supplied has elapsed or is expected to elapse before the completion of the flights due to changes in the original plan. In such cases, the operator has to make arrangements to obtain fresh forecast from the Aviation Meteorological Office at the original departure aerodrome or from the nearest Aviation Meteorological Office. The responsibility for the collection and transmission of the forecasts to the pilot at intermediate halts rests with the operator.

8.

In-flight services

8.1.

SIGMET: Significant Meteorological Information pertaining to the FIRs are issued by the Meteorological Watch Office (MWO) at Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata & Mumbai and are known as SIGMET. These are supplied to the ATS units at the Flight Information Center (FIC) and Area Control Center (ACC) for the transmission to aircraft in flight (Refer Para 12)

8.2.

VOLMET BROADCASTS: Current Weather Reports and Aerodrome Forecasts and SIGMETs of certain stations are broadcast on HF from Kolkata and Mumbai at half hourly intervals. Details of these broadcast are given in Para 12.

8.3.

ATIS BROADCAST: Latest Weather Report of the airport, together with trend forecast valid for the next 2 hours, is included in the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) broadcast from Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata & Mumbai.

8.4.

AD 2.11 of each aerodrome described in Part 3-Aerodrome (AD), Volume II gives metrological information provided by each aerodrome.

9.

Meteorological Observatories and Reports

(1) Observations are recorded at:

a) Ahmadabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Tiruchirapalli and Thiruvananthapuram............ HH + 20 min & HH + 50 minp

b) Kolkata, Kochi, Kozhikode & Patna                      HH + 00 min & HH + 30 min

c) Amritsar, Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow & Varanasi         HH + 00 min & HH + 30 min

d) At all other stations                                            [HH = Full hour UTC]

(2) SPECIs and additional reports are prepared whenever warranted, throughout the hours of watch.

10.

Notification required from operators

10.1

Notification from operators for flight documentation and other meteorological service or for a change in the existing requirements should be received by the concerned Meteorological Office(s) sufficiently in advance. Normally the minimum notice required for non-scheduled flights are as follows:

11.

Aircraft reports

11.1.

Routine air reports at the following designated MET reporting points (as given on para 11.4 & 11.5) shall be made by all aircraft.

11.2.

Special observations shall be made whenever the following weather phenomenon are encountered or observed -

i) severe turbulence; or

ii) severe icing; or

iii) severe mountain wave; or

iv) thunderstorm without hail, that are obscured, embedded, widespread or in squall lines; or

v) thunderstorm with hail, that are obscured, embedded, widespread or in squall lines; or

vi) heavy dust storm or heavy sandstorm; or

vii) volcanic ash cloud; or

viii) pre-eruption activity or a volcanic eruption

11.3.

The meteorological office shall make arrangements with the appropriate ATS unit to ensure that -

i) Routine and special air-reports by voice communications, the ATS units relay them without delay to their associated meteorological watch office

ii) Routine air-reports by data-link communications, the ATS units relay them without delay to WAFCs; and

iii) Special air-reports by data-link communications, the ATS units relay them without delay to their associated meteorological watch office and WAFCs.

11.4.

Meteorological reporting points on National ATS routes

11.5.

Meteorological reporting points on International ATS routes

12.

VOLMET service

13.

SIGMET Service

14.

General

For the safety of air traffic, the meteorological offices maintain an Area Meteorological Watch and Warning Service. This service consists partly of a continuous weather watch within the FIR and the issuance of appropriate information (SIGMET) by Meteorological Watch Offices and partly of the issuing of warning for the respective aerodrome by all aviation forecasting offices.

15.

Area Meteorological Watch Service

15.1.

The Area Meteorological Watch Service is performed by the following Meteorological Watch Offices (MWO); Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata & Mumbai.

15.2.

The MWO issue information in the form of SIGMET messages about the occurrence and/or expected occurrence of one or more of the following phenomena within the FIR served by the MWO:

i) Thunderstorms

ii) Tropical Cyclone

iii) Turbulence

iv) Icing

v) Mountain waves

vi) Dust storm

vii) Sandstorm

viii) Volcanic ash cloud

ix) Cumulonimbus

x) Hail

15.3.

The SIGMET are issued in abbreviations and plain language using ICAO abbreviations and are numbered consecutively for each day commencing at 0001UTC. The period of validity of a SIGMET message shall be not more than 6 hours and preferably not more than 4 hours.

15.4.

The MWO transmit SIGMET issued by them, as well as SIGMET of adjacent MWO and also SIGMET of other MWO to the Flight Information Centre (FIC) for the FIR concerned.

15.5.

In addition to the issuance of SIGMET, the MWO inform the local FIC about the occurrence or expected occurrence of thunderstorms, moderate icing, light to moderate hail, or moderate turbulence within the FIR concerned. The information is intended for lower air-space.

16.

Warning Services

16.1.

Aerodrome warnings are issued by all forecasting offices and give the concise information of meteorological conditions, which would adversely affect aircraft on the ground, including parked aircraft and the aerodrome facilities and services, if one or several of the following phenomena are expected to occur at the airport -

i) Wind - speed expected to reach 30 knots or more even in gusts, direction changing rapidly by 450 or more, wind speed before and after expected to be 20 knot or more

ii) Squall

iii) Tropical Cyclone

iv) Dust storm

v) Sandstorm

vi) Thunderstorm

vii) Hail

viii) Frost

ix) Hoar Frost or rime

x) Snow (including the expected or observed snow accumulation)

xi) Freezing precipitation

xii) Rising sand or dust

xiii) Volcanic ash

16.2.

Warning for gliders and light aircraft and helicopters are issued when wind speed is expected to reach 17Kt or more.

16.3.

Wind shear warning provide concise information of the observed or expected existence of wind shear which could adversely affect aircraft on the approach path or take-off path or during circling approach between runway level and 500 M above the level and aircraft on the runway during the landing roll or take-off run.

16.4.

These warning are issued in English and are issued only for the local aerodrome and are passed on to local ATS units for further dissemination over the aerodrome to the operators etc.

17.

Others automated meteorological services

17.1.

Automated meteorological briefing is available through Automatic Self Briefing System (ASBS) at Chennai airport.

18.

ICAO documents

18.1.

The standards and recommended practices and procedures contained in the following ICAO documents are applicable to the meteorological practice in India.

i) Annex 3       Meteorological services for International Air Navigation

ii) Doc 7030       Regional Supplementary Procedures

iii) Doc 8400       PANS-ICAO Abbreviations and Codes

iv) Doc 8700       Air Navigation Plan - Mild - Asia Region

v) ROBEX Handbook

19.

Departmental publications

19.1.

The following publication issued by India Meteorological Department contained National Regulations/Practices.

a) Manual on Meteorological Service for Aviation in India, 3rd Edition, 2006

b) Aviation Weather Codes 1994

20.

Differences from ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARP)

The following differences exist between National Regulations/Practices and the provisions of Annex 3.