National mission on monsoon prediction soon

• The Union Cabinet is likely to give its final approval for a national mission to try and improve the accuracy of monsoon forecasts by this month-end.
• The mission, estimated to cost Rs. 350 crore, is designed to improve the current generation of dynamic numerical models for prediction through better insight of the highly complex phenomenon of monsoon.
• Under the project, scientists would work on models from the United Kingdom's Met Office and the United States' National Centers for Environment Prediction . 
• The mission would have two components relating to two different timescales — monthly, seasonal and intra-seasonal scale on the one hand and a medium range forecast, up to 15 days, on the other.
• At present, India Meteorological Department makes its forecasts based on the system of a statistical model, which makes the prediction on the basis of several predictors. 
• India does not have a dynamic numerical model of it own. The goal now is to develop a model that would be India-specific within five years