People watch the weather on television before setting out, how do they bring about a largely accurate forecast?
One reason is their science and technology is better. Secondly, their weather pattern, their science of weather is different. Here up to 3 o’ clock, there will be no cloud but at 4 you will get a cloud and by 5 it will rain. This won’t happen in the US. If it’s going to rain there at 4 pm, by morning there will be clouds. Even two days prior it will be known that clouds are coming. But not so in our country. If the Americans are asked to issue a forecast for India, they will also do badly (laughs). That’s what I feel because our weather pattern is difficult. When you assess a forecast skill, don’t assess the IMD’s skill with the skill of the USA. It is like comparing Tendulkar with a school cricket boy. It is meaningless. You should compare the weather forecasting capability of India with any country in the tropics, that is a reasonable comparison. I am not saying the IMD is doing the best job, but it is uneasy for me to compare the IMD skill US or UK. You can compare India to Thailand
