IMD chief calls for smarter lightning forecasts to reduce casualties in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Oct 15 (UNI) With lightning posing a persistent threat to lives in Odisha, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Thursday has called for integrating satellite data, artificial intelligence and machine learning into forecasting and warning systems to improve prediction and alert vulnerable communities in time. Addressing the inaugural session of a two-day National Workshop on Lightning Safety organised by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), Mohapatra stressed the need to make existing disaster management mechanisms more effective through scientific and technological advancements. The workshop, being held on October 15 and 16, will work towards preparing a "Lightning-Safe Odisha:…