Guwahati: Power System Operation Corporation Limited, a national grid operator, signed a memorandum of understanding with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) today, in which both parties agreed that weather information provided by IMD will be used by Power System Operators across India for better management of the Indian Power System and for analysis.

The MoU was signed at the POSOCO office by S. R. Narasimhan, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), POSOCO, and Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General (DG), IMD. Other top officials from both sides were present during the meeting.

IMD will provide current weather information every hour or at less frequent periods. It will forecast temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and rainfall for the selected stations for the next 36 hours. It will also anticipate snowfall in hilly states and along the routes of critical transmission lines that run over high terrain. It will forecast weather conditions at Renewable Energy plant sites.

POSOCO and IMD last signed an MOU on May 18, 2015.

Power System Operation Corporation is a completely owned Government of India Schedule A firm under the Union Ministry of Power. It is in charge of ensuring the safe and secure functioning of the National Electricity Grid. The Electricity Act of 2003 established five Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDCs) and the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC).