Along with the Union Department of Science and Technology, IIT on November 29 launched the first-ever scientific and engineering research (SERC) school on ``Numerical weather prediction Dynamics and numerical methods''.

Amongst the participants in the month-long training programme are officials from the Defence forces, the Indian Meterological Department, Snow Avalanche Study Institute and the National Council of Medium Range Weather Forecasts.

Professor U.C. Mohanty, who is the head of the IIT Centre of Atmospheric Sciences as well as the course director, told The Indian Express: ``We will train the participants to use the numerical method of prediction that is widely used in the USA and Europe. As of now, India has less then 100 weather experts who are trained to use this method.''

Usingthe method, weatherman can forecast for the next three to five days, unlike the subjective method which can predict weather for coming 24 hours alone. ``For instance, five days before the supercyclone devastated Orissa, experts in America had predicted the same by using the numerical method,'' Mohanty explains.

The numerical approach, say experts, is the ``only method where massive amount of data received from various sources can be processed to form equations. These mathematical equations can be further processed with the required time scale to forecast weather''.

To make up for the lack of trained manpower, the Dept of Science and Technology will follow up the SERC school with four more such training programmes at IIT, Delhi. Training would be provided by experts from the host institute, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meterology, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Meteorlogical Department, Andhra University and the Indian Space Research Organisation.

``We are also planning to set up a committeethat will examine the level of technology India uses to predict cyclones,'' said a senior faculty member at the IIT atmospheric sciences centre. ``What our weathermen need to realise is that cyclones, unlike earthquakes, can be accurately predicted.'' Prof Mohanty has the last word. ``You can't control the weather. The least you can do is get people ready to face cyclones, heat waves and rains by making accurate forecasts.''