A weather 'applet', a small programme designed to run within a bigger application — was developed by a team from the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in southern India and the University of Leeds, UK, reports SciDevNet. The automated system made accurate forecasts on Cyclone Phailin in the Bay of Bengal and heading towards India's east coast last October.
Saurabh Dani, senior disaster risk management specialist with the World Bank in India, says that the app addresses the first stage of disaster warning — broadcasting. The second stage requires an advisory on whether local people should stay put, or leave.
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Hazards
Cyclone, Hurricane and Typhoon
Country and region
India