By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

Researchers at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) will carry out a study on the impact of tropical waves on extreme rainfall events in India.

The aim is to provide a deeper understanding of tropical wave dynamics and its influence on extreme rainfall patterns across the country. The duration of the project is three years.

“Tropical waves are large-scale disturbances in the atmosphere that move along the equator and are known to influence rainfall and weather patterns in the tropics. These waves, which include Kelvin waves, Rossby waves, and Mixed Rossby–Gravity waves, act like carriers of heat and moisture, often triggering or suppressing rain,” said Ajil Kottayil, scientist at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research and Principal Investigator of the project.

“While scientists already know that tropical waves play a big role in controlling rainfall on shorter time scales, their link to extreme rainfall events during the Indian monsoon is still not well understood,” he said. Prof. K. Satheesan of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Cusat is the co-principal investigator.

Mr. Kottayil said that the project aims to unravel how tropical waves influence the timing and intensity of extreme rainfall events over India. “This opens up opportunities to improve sub-seasonal forecasting, giving communities and decision-makers more lead time to prepare for floods and other weather extremes. By shedding light on a relatively unexplored aspect of the monsoon system, this research promises to enhance our ability to understand and forecast extreme rainfall, ultimately strengthening disaster preparedness and climate resilience,” he said. The Ministry of Earth Sciences has sanctioned ₹44 lakh for the project.