Context: India aims to launch its first research testbed dedicated to studying Nor’westers (aka Kalbaisakhi).

• The proposed multi-crore rupees research testbed facility will cover a large area adjoining West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand. The control centre will be at Chandbali in the Bhadrak district of Odisha, about 130 km east of Bhubaneswar.

About the Testbed and Its Capabilities

• The proposed research testbed facility, jointly developed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Pune), and National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (Delhi).

• It aims to cover a large area adjoining West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, with the control centre at Chandbali in the Bhadrak district of Odisha.

• The facility will be equipped with drones, mobile vans, and high-end instruments.

• The large data generated from the facility are expected to make timely thunderstorm predictions, issue nowcast warnings (an event in less than three hours), and ultimately save lives.

Nor’westers (aka Kalbaisakhi)

• Norwesters are severe thunderstorms that originate over Eastern and north Eastern parts of India, southern Nepal, adjoining Bhutan and Bangladesh during the pre-monsoon season. 

• They travel preferentially in a general northwest to southeast direction and sometimes in southwest to northeast direction.

• a. They are locally known as Kalbaisakhis.

• In the early summer months, the daytime landmass heating over these regions triggers convection over some areas of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and sub-Himalayan West Bengal.

Impact and Effects

• The Norwesters produce heavy showers, lightning, thunder, hailstorms, dust storms, squalls, downbursts and sometimes even tornadoes.

• These are useful for Kharif crops like tea, jute and rice cultivation.

• a. In Assam, these storms are known as ‘Bardoli Chheerha’. 

Some Famous Local Storms of Hot Weather Season

• Mango Shower: It is a pre-monsoon shower towards the end of summer, which is common in Kerala and coastal areas of Karnataka.

• Locally, they are known as mango showers since they help in the early ripening of mangoes. 

• Blossom Shower: With this shower, coffee flowers blossom in Kerala and nearby areas. 

• Loo: Hot, dry and oppressing winds blowing in the Northern plains from Punjab to Bihar with higher intensity between Delhi and Patna.