India, Jan. 15 -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will establish 200 automatic weather stations (AWSs) and upgrade land and ocean observational systems as part of Phase II of Mission Mausam, which seeks to make the country weather-ready and climate-smart, to be launched by April.

Speaking on the occasion of IMD's 151st Foundation Day on Thursday, earth sciences ministry secretary M Ravichandran said Mission Mausam Phase II would involve a massive up gradation of observational systems.

The upgrade will begin with the installation of 20 AWSs in Delhi this month. Other new AWSs will be established in important cities such as Mumbai and Chennai. There are around 1,000 AWSs in India.

Ravichandran cited the geopolitical situation a...