Overview

• The Bharat Forecasting System (BFS) is India’s first indigenous weather model operating on a 6 km grid, surpassing global models at 9–14 km resolution.
• Developed by IITM Pune and handed over to the IMD, BFS runs on the Arka supercomputer (11.77 petaflops, 33 PB storage), cutting runtimes from 10 hours to four.
• Experimental trials since 2022 demonstrated a 30% improvement in extreme rainfall forecasts and a 64% enhancement for core monsoon predictions.
• BFS ingests data from 40 Doppler weather radars—set to expand to 100—to produce precise nowcasts and separate forecasts down to the panchayat level.
• The high-resolution model will support disaster management, agriculture, aviation, defence and flood forecasting with more accurate, localized weather warnings.