History :

The Central Observatory at Bengaluru was established on 1st Nov 1867 at Bowring Hospital, Bengaluru as per the proposal of Col. Strachey of Bengal of Asiatic Society of Bengal. This observatory was under the control of the Government Astronomer of the old Madras Presidency and regular observations were taken at 10, 16 and 22 hours daily since 14.07.1868.This observatory was shifted in 1892 to the Central College compound due to the keen interest and efforts of Prof. Cook of the central College, Bengaluru. Prof Cook became the first Director of the Central Observatory and it was he who persuaded the then Government of Mysore to to have the Observatory building constructed in 1893 on the model of Alipore Observatory of Kolkatta.

The Mysore State Meteorological Department was formed on 1st Jan 1894 by amalgamating the four Observatories located at Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hassan and Chitradurga with Prof Cook as the first Meteorologist to the then Govt., of Mysore. The central Observatory started functioning as a Class I observatory at the old building on 1st jan 1894. After Prof Cook, the Mysore State Meteorological Department functioned under the leadership of many eminent meteorologists like S/Shri N. Venkatesha Iyengar (1907 to 1922), C. Seshachar (1922 – 1943) and T V Ramachandra Iyer (1943-1951). Following the integration of princely States with the Indian Union, Mysore State Meteorological Department was taken over by India Meteorological Department on 1st Jan 1951 and the Central Observatory at Bengaluru became part of the India Meteorological Department.

Meteorological centre, Bengaluru :

The Meteorological Centre with its forecasting office was functioning at HAL Airport premises since Jan 1973. With the increase in activities/responsibilities of Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru, the need to relocate the MC to a centralised location of the city in spacious premise to enable easy access and interaction with various users including State/Central Government agencies was acutely felt. A new building was constructed in Central Observatory premises in 1995. The offices of the Director and other non-aviation services were shifted from HAL to Central Observatory. Meteorological Office at HAL continued the aviation services. A new Airport Meteorological Office was established at Bengaluru International Airport, Devanahalli in May 2008, in order to provide weather services to Aviation with state of art Integrated Automatic weather station. An agricultural Research Unit is functioning from the premises of University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK campus, Bengaluru.

In the last 154 years of its existence, the CO at Bengaluru has come a long way.From its very humble beginning having only thermometers housed in thatched shed to record temperature, it has now transformed into modern Meteorological Centre equipped with modern and state of art facilities.  

Services rendered by MC Bengaluru weather Section :

• State Daily weather Report:
  State Daily Weather Report, comprising of synopsis of weather prevailed over the state during the last 24hrs, Rainfall amounts and Temperature Description, is prepared at 1300 hours IST daily. It is sent to all stakeholders, including press and electronic media and Govt., Agencies. Also it is uploaded in MC Bengaluru Website.
• Sub Divisional Forecast:
  Forecast is issued for all the three Meteorological subdivision in Karnataka, namely, Coastal Karnataka, North and South Interior Karnataka, for a period of five days.
• Location Specific Local Forecast:
  Location Specific Local Forecast, for seven days, is issued for Bengaluru City, Bengaluru International Airport, Bengaluru H.A.L. Airport & Hebbal daily twice at 1300 hours & 2100 hours IST and uploaded in MC Bengaluru Website.
• District Forecast:
  Forecast and warning for 30 districts of Karnataka issued daily at 1000, 1300, 1800 & 2100 hours IST daily and uploaded in MC Bengaluru Website.
• Highway forecast:
  Forecast giving the would be weather conditions enroute the national Highways in the Karnataka state.
• Extended Outlook for 2 weeks:
  Extended Outlook for 2 weeks is prepared on every Friday and is uploaded in MC Bengaluru Website.
• Fishermen warning:
  Fishermen warning, indicating the sea condition and adverse weather in sea, like, Cyclonic storm, Severe cyclonic storm, is sent to all Stakeholders by Email and uploaded in the website.
• Nowcast for Station:
  Nowcasts, forecast for a shorter duration of three hours, for Thunderstorm, Heavy Rain etc., are issued for 47 important stations in Karnataka and are uploaded in the IMD Website (www.mausam.gov.in) at every 0300 hours interval starting from 0100 hours IST daily.
• Nowcast for Districts:
  Nowcast for Thunderstorm, Heavy Rain , etc., are issued for concerned districts as and when required and sent to respective Districts Commissioners , District Disaster Management cells , all concerned IMD Directors and uploaded in MC Bengaluru Website.
• VVIP Forecast: VVIP Forecasts are issued during the visits of Prime Minister, President & Vice President of India and foreign delegates to Karnataka.
• VIP Forecast: VIP Forecasts are issued during official tour of Karnataka State Chief Minister.
• City Local Forecast:
  Local Forecast, containing Temperature and rainfall for 17 important cities of Karnataka daily twice at 1000 and 1900 hours IST and uploaded in MC Bengaluru and IMD Websites.
• Sub-Basin wise Forecast: Flood Meteorological Office, Bengaluru issues Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) & Hydromet Bulletin (H.M. Bulletin) daily at 1000 hours and 1300 hours IST for 26 Sub-basins of Cauvery, Krishna & West Flowing Rivers and would be sent to all Stakeholders (CWCs) and DGM FMU New Delhi.
• Aviation Services: Aviation Service, includes, current and forecast weather at aerodromand is taken care by the Aviation Meteorological Office, at International Airport at Bengaluru.
• Press Release: Press Release issued for extreme weather events affecting Karnataka, as and when forecast, is sent to all Stakeholders and uploaded in MC Bengaluru Website.
• Social Media : Weather information are uploaded daily in Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp.
• Media Briefing: Media briefing is done for weather related information.
  
  To support the above services MC Bengaluru is having:
  
  
  • Network of Surface observatories at Bengaluru, HAL, KIAL, Chitradurga, Gadag, Panambur, Bajpe, Karwar, Honnavar, Kalaburgi, Sambre. (Manned by the departmental Staff/Officers)
  • The network also strengthened by 22 part time observatories (Manned by other than Departmental staff).
  • Network of Automatic Weather Stations (27) with GPRS transmission and 47 Automatic Rain Gauge stations.
  • Three GPS RSRW stations. (Bengaluru, Panambur and Gadag).
  • Three PBO observatories (Bengaluru, Panambur and Gadag).