He said his government had initiated discussions with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for this purpose.

The chief minister said the establishment of the regional meteorological centre would also help the state in this endeavour.

“During meetings on excessive rainfall, drought, lightning, and other seasonal issues, discussions with meteorological and related departments have often highlighted how timely and accurate information helps in formulating the right strategy,” Adityanath said.

“This year, on May 13, storms caused significant loss of life and property in several districts of the state. During a review meeting, I asked why the early warning system was not functioning effectively. It was found that the system was working, but there was a lack of responsiveness at the local administrative level. Later, during a video conference with officials across the state, I instructed them to ensure that when alerts are received, local residents and institutions should also be informed promptly. Four to five days after that meeting, another disaster situation arose, but this time mobile alerts started reaching everyone three hours in advance,” he said.

The chief minister said Uttar Pradesh now had 450 Automatic Weather Stations and 2,000 Automatic Rain Gauges installed at the block level. These systems provide farmers with accurate rainfall information. The equipment collects real-time data on rainfall, temperature, wind speed, and wind direction, helping in weather analysis and studies. He said X-Band Doppler Weather Radars were being installed in Azamgarh, Varanasi, Aligarh, Jhansi, and Lucknow. These will help monitor storms, heavy rainfall, and hailstorms.

“Lightning detection sensors have also been installed. Timely MMS alerts are received through the Government of India’s SACHET (System for Advanced Communication and Holistic Emergency Transmission) platform,” he said, adding that these measures had already helped prevent loss of life and property.

“Districts such as Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, and Chandauli face a high risk of lightning strikes. Earlier, every year, 100 to 150 people used to lose their lives due to lightning. Four to five years ago, 90 deaths occurred in a single day between Prayagraj and Patna, including 30 in Uttar Pradesh and 60 in Bihar. Following this, during a meeting of NDRF, SDRF, MDMA, and the India Meteorological Department, I questioned who would prevent such deaths and whether technology could help. The departments confirmed that it was possible. As a result of implementing the Early Warning System, annual deaths in these districts have reduced to just around a dozen,” the chief minister said.

Referring to another particular incident in Saharanpur, the chief minister said, “Maa Shakambhari Devi Temple is located in the foothills of the Shivalik range. Heavy rainfall in Dehradun and the Shivalik hills often leads to a flood-like situation in the area. At that time, devotional singing was underway in the temple, and a large number of devotees were present. However, timely information from the Met enabled authorities to move everyone to safer locations, preventing major loss of life and property.”

Speaking at the event, Union minister Jitendra Singh said that the progress achieved in weather forecasting and observation systems in the last decade has transformed the manner in which weather services are delivered to citizens, disaster management agencies, farmers, tourists, and the aviation sector.

He said that weather forecasting has evolved from broad regional predictions to highly localised and time-specific forecasts.

The minister emphasised that increasing public confidence in weather forecasts is a reflection of the substantial improvements made in observational networks, forecasting models, and dissemination systems.

Referring to UP, Singh said the state’s geographical diversity and climatic variability make it one of the most important regions for advanced meteorological services.