Forecasters Guide - (IMD), Pune

of Bengal. However, the additional bulletins on disturbed weather days will be issued by
Chennai only so long as the coasts of Chennai region are affected by the system.
The other types of messages, issued by all the ACWCs and CWCs for their
respective areas of responsibility.
Coastal Bulletins
Weather and sea bulletins for ships plying in coastal w aters: These are for the
benefit of ships sailing close to the coast and are issued by the ACWCs Kolkata, Chennai,
Mumbai and CWCs Visakhapatnam, Bhubanesw ar and Ahmedabad for the different coastal
areas under their responsibility. These bulletins are broadcast in Morse code as well as by
NAVTEX stations in plain language from the 10 coastal DoT radio stations – 6 on the w est
coast, 3 on the east coast and 1 in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
From CWC Ahmedabad, coastal bulletins are issued tw ice daily to A CWC Mumbai
and Mumbai Radio (landline) for both South Gujarat and North Gujarat coast.
Warnings to Ports
Hoisting of signals
The India Meteorological Department (through the ACWCs/CWCs) maintains
a port w arning service by w hich the port officers are warned by high priority telegrams about
disturbed w eather likely to affect their ports. On receipt of the w arning telegrams from the
ACWC/CWC, the port officers hoist appropriate visual signals prominently on signal masts
so that they are visible from a distance. Mariners and other sea-faring people, including
fishermen w ho may not be literate, are generally aw are of the meaning of these signals and
the port authorities are alw ays ready to explain them w henever necessary. At some ports,
the meanings of the signals are displayed in English as well as in the local languages
prominently on a notice board. While the India Meteorological Department is responsible for
issuing the w arnings, the port authorities arrange the display of signals. In addition to
hoisting the signals, the port officers have, in most cases, make arrangements for
disseminating the w arnings received by them, to country craft and sailing vessels in the
harbours.
Frequency of Issue
Ports in the maritime States are w arned 5 to 6 times a day during periods of cyclonic
storm by landline telegram. The w arnings contain information about the location, intensity
and expected direction of movement of the storm or depression, the part of the coast w here
it is expected to strike and the type of signal w hich the port should hoist. As landline
communication betw een the port and the CWC may break dow n during a cyclone, provision
exists for using state and inter-state police W/T channels w herever available for passing on
the w arnings.
Warnings for Fisheries
Warnings for fishing interests are issued by the ACWCs/CWCs w henever the
wind speed is expected to exceed 45 kmph (i.e. for squally weather, gales, strong monsoon
and off shore w inds) and state of sea very rough or above. These w arnings are transmitted
by landline telegram or over telephone to the AIR stations (about 30 in number) in the
maritime states. These w arnings are broadcast as a routine four times a day (morning, mid-
17