SHILLONG: A hydrogen balloon weighing 750 grammes was released from the Indian Meteorological Department in Upper Shillong on Saturday to assess the upper air condition.
The IMD has set up five air observations in the North East, including the one in Shillong, and these balloons can reach up to 30 kilometres to study the upper air condition to supplement ground observation.
The balloon was released in the presence of Air Force Group Captain SK Thakur and other officials.
The balloon, which will be released once in the morning and once in evening, would be able to give reports about wind speed, wind direction, humidity and temperature.
Sanjay Bist, Director of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Shillong, said that these balloons would provide real time information to the system in ground and the balloon will take two hours to complete its flight.
He also said that data provided will be put in the global system and it would help in better forecasts about weather as radio signals will be beamed from the released balloons and analysis will be made in the computer weather balloons to analyse air condition in the sky.
The new initiative would also help the aviation sector including the Indian Air Force as real time data about weather in the atmosphere would be provided from the system.
Releasing a balloon would cost IMD almost Rs 10000 and the balloons would be released only after getting clearance from the Air Force that their sorties are not in the vicinity.
