Director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, Sarat Chandra Sahu, has carved a reputation for being pretty accurate with his weather predictions. He and his team of scientists were spot-on with their predictions of Cyclone Phailin (2013) and Hudhud (2014), enabling the government to save thousands of lives by undertaking evacuation missions well in advance. The Met director gives us insights into his line of work and explains, among other things, how climate change is a reality we need to come to terms with. Excerpts from an interview with Sandeep Mishra
Q1. First off, what everyone wants to know is if 2015 is going to be hotter than last year?
The state might witness moderate hot weather this summer, but in all likelihood it will not be as harsh as last year. We’re in the middle of the summer right now, and you can see the maximum temperature at many places in the state has not crossed the 40 degree mark apart from a few places, that too in last month. The mercury will rise after mid-April, but it won’t be like last year.
Q2.Every year seems to be hotter than the last. Climate change at work?
The reason for this kind of erratic weather is nothing but climate change. We are witnessing heavy rainfall and floods in the northern parts of the country during March, which are quite unusual occurences. This is nothing but climate change, which people need to acknowledge and start taking measures to curb the emission of greenhouse gases into the upper atmosphere. Climate change is a stark reality that we cannot afford to take lightly. Doing so will be at our peril.
Q3.Your department won accolades for correctly predicting both cyclone Phailin and Hudhud. Your thoughts on those natural disasters?
Due to high-end modern technology that helps in understanding weather patterns of a place, we have thankfully succeeded in predicting both cyclones correctly. It was a textbook example of teamwork, and the well-oiled coordination of the Special Relief Commissioner with our office was highly commendable.
Q4.Why is Orissa so vulnerable to cyclones?
The temperature over the Bay of Bengal is comparatively high, which leads to high evaporation in the upper atmosphere helping in the formation of cyclonic currents. Also, the depth of the sea is very less which is another reason. Planting more trees along the coastline will reduce impact of cyclones.
Q5.You have been a scientist for many years now. Any memorable incidents…
I was posted in Shillong for 14 years after I got promoted to director and was subsequently transferred to Bhubaneswar in 2004 with the same post. Shillong was tough as there was some terrorist activity happening, but thankfully nothing happened. The time I spent there is one of the most memorable times of my life.
