India's advanced meteorological satellite INSAT-3D became operational today, giving a boost to weather forecasting and disaster warning services.

"The project has been undertaken as a joint collaboration with the ISRO and the MET department. This will have an improved forecasting of weather and will receive and process satellite data on real time basis," said A K Mitra, director (software) of the programme.

"This would add new dimensions to weather monitoring through its atmospheric sounding system, which provides vertical profiles of temperatures, humidity and integrated ozone from surface to top of atmosphere in weather forecasting," he said.

This will see improved forecasting about the onset of monsoon over Kerala, tracking and predictions of tropical cyclones, fog, snow cover mapping. Further, the system will also aid in detection of high impact weather events such as heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and dust storms.