Union minister for science and technology Jitendra Singh inaugurated the country’s first “SkyCast” system at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Friday. The advanced weather intelligence and nowcasting system is expected to reduce weather- and fog-related flight disruptions, enhance safety during take-off and landing, and improve aviation operations during severe weather conditions, officials said on the sidelines of the inauguration.Officials said the system would reduce flight disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions. (Hindustan Times)The SkyCast system integrates multiple technologies, including remote sensing, atmospheric profiling systems and nowcasting tools, to monitor changing weather conditions that could impact flight operations.Speaking at the event, Singh said the system would reduce flight disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions.“The system will provide advance alerts to aircrew and pilots even within a short time window of around three hours, enabling them to determine the safest time for landing and avoid unnecessary diversions, cancellations and delays,” the minister said.“It combines multiple atmospheric observation technologies for fog monitoring, turbulence detection and high-impact weather forecasting. It also includes advanced fog monitoring instruments, which are particularly important for cities like Delhi, where pollution particles interact with fog and affect visibility,” he said, adding that vertical profiles of wind, humidity and temperature would improve weather forecasting.“SkyCast is an important step forward in making Delhi airport safer and more resilient for travellers. Weather can change very quickly, and having access to accurate, real-time information makes a difference on the ground and in the air. This system will help our teams, pilots and air traffic controllers make quicker, more informed decisions,” said Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) chief executive officer Videh Kumar Jaipuriar.GMR Aero officials said the system allows real-time monitoring of atmospheric parameters such as temperature and humidity profiles, water vapour density, cloud liquid water content, wind speed and direction, vertical wind structures, and near-surface high-resolution wind observations.It can also detect and issue real-time alerts for potential aviation hazards such as wind shear, fog, inversions, low-level jets, icing and turbulence, and provide short-term operational nowcasts updated every five minutes.“The system is aligned with ICAO and FAA standards and enables runway-specific wind-shear alerts tailored to operational requirements,” GMR Aero said in a statement, adding that it is also capable of providing weather information to key stakeholders, including meteorologists, air traffic controllers and pilots.India is the 19th country to deploy an integrated aviation weather monitoring system. Singh said Jewar airport would be the second airport in the country to be equipped with the system..