ISRO flags shifting weather patterns, rising temperatures in India

Ahmedabad, Feb 26: Amid growing concerns over climate variability, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has flagged significant shifts in weather patterns and rising temperatures across the country, underlining the urgent need for environmental vigilance and policy intervention.

Speaking on the sidelines of an interaction at ISRO Ahmedabad, Dr Abha Chabra said that one of the organisation’s key responsibilities is conducting space-based studies of the environment, with a sharp focus on pollution and its long-term impacts.

She noted that ISRO is working round the clock to monitor critical environmental parameters, including temperature trends and atmospheric changes.

Dr Chabra observed that several environmental changes predicted by scientists years and decades ago are now becoming visible realities, reaffirming that earlier scientific assessments were firmly grounded in evidence. She stated that ISRO is undertaking comprehensive studies covering the entire country, including Jammu and Kashmir, to analyse environmental degradation, pollution levels and the transformations taking place in natural systems.

Highlighting serious concerns, she pointed out that noticeable shifts in weather patterns are being recorded in many parts of India, alongside changes in monsoon behaviour. Rising temperatures, she added, pose another major challenge, with even the month of February witnessing record high temperatures in several regions.

Emphasising the role of human intervention in accelerating environmental changes, Dr Chabra said ISRO scientists regularly provide data-driven inputs and recommendations to policymakers to help mitigate adverse impacts and plan adaptive strategies.