2024-06-01 17:15:29
NEW DELHI: The temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius that an automated weather station (AWS) at Mungeshpur in northwest Delhi recorded on Saturday was caused by a “malfunctioning sensor,” according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The weather office attributed the inaccurate readings to a malfunctioning sensor in the AWS. IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the faulty sensor at the Mungeshpur AWS would be replaced within a few days and that all AWS would be examined and corrected if necessary.
“The temperature sensor of AWS Mungeshpur is found to report about three degrees Celsius higher maximum temperature than the maximum temperature reported by the standard instrument,” IMD said.
“Also, it exceeded the earlier all-time highest maximum temperature of 48.4 degrees Celsius at Palam on May 26, 1998,” the weather office said.
Earth sciences minister Kiren Rijiju shared a draft report on the Mungeshpur incident, confirming that the maximum temperature recorded by the AWS was three degrees higher than the standard instruments.
The report suggested that the IMD Pune’s surface instrument division should periodically examine and calibrate the temperature sensors of all AWS. It also recommended conducting a Factory Acceptance Test at different temperatures before installing an AWS and ensuring routine maintenance of these devices across the country.
The IMD noted that the AWS reading at Mungeshpur was an outlier compared to the temperatures measured by other AWS and manual observatories in Delhi. It also exceeded the previous all-time highest maximum temperature of 48.4 degrees Celsius recorded at Palam on May 26, 1998.
On May 29, the maximum temperature observations ranged from 45.2 to 49.1 degrees Celsius, except for the AWS at Mungeshpur, which reported a maximum temperature of 52.9 degrees Celsius. As of January this year, more than 800 AWS have been deployed across the country for weather observations.
(With inputs from agencies)