A Protocol

for
Early Warning Dissemination
on
Thunderstorm and Lightning

July 2021

National Disaster Management Authority

Government of India
 A Protocol for
Early Warning Dissemination on Thunderstorm and Lightning

1. Introduction
Thunderstorm and lightning have emerged as major weather hazards in recent years
and have affected different parts of the country. Lightning and Thunderstorms are
extremely short term phenomenon. The lightning strikes are instantaneous and it hits
within flash of seconds. Thus, it gives very little time to an individual react. These
severe weather events cause extensive structural damages, destruction of crops,
uprooting of trees and casualties. Every year about 2,500 people die due to
thunderstorm and lightning every year. Most of the deaths happen in rural areas and
in open spaces or in agricultural fields. There is a need to develop an effective early
warning dissemination protocol to minimize the loss of life.

2. Early Warning and Dissemination

a) Early Warning and Forecast -
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences issues
four types of forecasts on thunderstorm and associated weather conditions such as
lightning, strong gusty winds and hail at medium-range (1 to 5 days), short-range (24
hours) and very short-range or now-cast scale (3 hrs). The forecasts closest to the
events are most accurate and location specific. These location specific now-casts, which
are generated and transmitted at every 3 hour intervals, utilize the latest
observations of the events from the Indian and Global observatory and Meteorological
satellites, Doppler Weather Radar network and the data from the Lightning detector
network of the Indian Air Force and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
The alerts are specific to important towns and district headquarters throughout India
and are also issued for all districts of India. They contain information of the time of
occurrence of severe weather event, as well as likely impact.
As now-casts are valid for the next two to three hours, it gives only a limited lead-time
for dissemination. These location specific now-casts, are provided to Relief
Commissioners, State Control Rooms, District Collectors, Disaster Management units,
media personnel, various non- Governmental organizations, All India Radio and the
affected sectors of the general public through SMS, whatsApp, IMD website and e-
mail etc. These authorities then further disseminate these forecasts in near real-time,
through their own state and sector specific warning network even more widely. Closer
to the occurrence of the event, the Ministry of Earth Sciences communicates warnings
directly to the general public through the DAMINI mobile app and the RAIN ALARM
mobile app about 30-40 minutes in advance of the event. Warning for lightning
occurrence is also provided up to three hours in advance through other mobile apps
like MAUSAM, UMANG and MEGHDOOT. There is provision for auto-notification to
a user from the DAMINI, MAUSAM and MEGHDOOT apps.

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To be effective and complete, an Early Warning System should comprise seven
possible indicators:
(i) Risk knowledge of the public and capacity building – Lightning risk
Education, awareness and training about the hazard, its impact and safety
Do’s and Don’ts be made a part of seasonal curriculum specially pre-
monsoon and monsoon period in all schools, government
programmes/schemes and community based interventions, fixed Standard
Operating Procedures (SoP) for Response mechanism along with
coordination of various sectors for effective action etc.
(ii) As Lightning being a seasonal event during Kalbaishakhi and pre/terminal
monsoon, additional manpower/volunteers may be re-enforced from Aapda
Mitra, Civil Defense etc.
(iii) Monitoring and warning service - Responsibility and accountability must be
assigned for monitoring and warning services.
(iv) Visualization of Early Warning - It needs to be improved with simple to
understand and comply. Damini app can be improved with polygons and
push through messages in local languages.
(v) De-escalation of Early Warning is critical and it should be ensured
(vi) Dissemination and Communication of Lightning warning signal should be
specified similar to fire or sirens. The standardization of lightning warning
and its sensitization is important for instant response.
(vii) Collection of feedback information regarding occurrence and actual impact of
the severe weather event from the general public (through crowdsourcing),
Village, District, State level disaster authorities and maintenance of a
unified real-time updating of Unified Disaster database.

b) Institutional Mechanism for Dissemination of Early Warning below District level

(i) There is a need of written institutional mechanism by notification from
DDMA earmarking responsibility and accountability of BDOs, panchayat
level functionaries and CSOs/NGOs in ensuring dissemination and its
compliance.
(ii) An Incident Response System (IRS) for Block and below level needs to be
notified making functionaries responsible, accountable and monitored.
(iii) Fund- The state government/district administration may keep suitable fund
for dissemination.
c) Target Group and location along with Communication Protocol
Target group and geographical hotspots need to be identified for dissemination of
early warning. A communication mechanism needs to be worked out to reach them in
real time. There are three categories of people:-
(i) People with communication device and responsive
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 (ii) People with communication device but non responsive being involved in work
or other reasons
(iii) People without any communication device- They are farmers, cattle grazers,
children playing in orchard or ponds, fishermen and hunters. A physical
means of intervention be worked out and placed in advance.
d) Early Warning Message
To deliver early warning message to the last person in near real time, the following
should be kept in mind:
(i) The warning messages should contain safety directions to be followed; for
e.g.; the nowcasting messages for severe thunderstorm/lighting may ask the
public to take a safe shelter or move indoors in the wake of an inevitable
disaster;
(ii) The message should be short, clear, in simple local language and action-
oriented;
(iii) Flash messages / tickers / ‘breaking news’ to be displayed on the local TV
news channels;
(iv) Radio announcements through public and private broadcasters;
(v) Flash messages / SMS, WhatsApp group to the users by the mobile operators
in the affected areas;
(vi) In case of rural areas and small towns, an early warning may be issued by
the local authorities using channelized WhatsApp group, loudspeakers,
sirens, etc.; and
(vii) Social Media, including group messaging services, should be extensively
used.

e) Communication Strategy and Drafting of Key Do’s and Don’ts

(i) The communication strategy should be based on insights of the local
population considering the nature of the–
a. Linkages as to why IEC on Do’s and Don’ts are important
b. When is this IEC campaign to be launch and Where?

f) Early Warning Dissemination

(i) Operationalization of Early warning – Lightning being a short term phenomena
and since the warning is available for approximately an hour, “Golden
Lightning Warning Hour (GLWH)” needs to be capitalized by its instant
operationalization. This is recommended to be done adopting following means:
a. Activation of IRS at District and below level
b. Dissemination of Early Warning through SMS
c. Synchronize with EOCs/ SDMAs at state and below level

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 d. Educate government functionaries, CSOs and community by generating
interests and popularizing Early Warning
e. Create network of volunteers specially weather enthusiasts and bloggers
f. Display at public places like offices, schools, markets, outdoor work/
construction places, religious places, play fields, stadia.
g. Mainstreaming Lightning among NDRF, SDRFs, NGOs and CSOs

h. Dissemination to last mile

o Media- TV, AIR, FM Radio, community radio

o Smart phones- Damini App
o Community watch man
o Miking
i. Crowdsourcing early warning
j. Validation and mobilization of resources at last mile
k. Research and development in Early warning dissemination

(ii) Multiple media such as TV/ Radio (including FM radio)/ Social Media/local
media/SMS and IVR message may be used for publicizing the early warning
and IEC material.

(iii) Special Radio talks and TV shows may be organised by state and IMD Officials
during the season. IEC material should be publicized to eradicate the myth
through Folk/music programme at public places like market, playground,
religious places, fishing harbours etc.

(iv) WhatsApp has emerged as a very effective and fast medium of communication.
State Health and Disaster Management Departments may form WhatsApp
groups of specific states/districts/blocks/cluster of villages for dissemination of
messages with following broad flow scheme.

a) State level groups may have the minister/s, Chief Secretary, Secretaries &
other officers of concerned departments, DMs & District Health Officers of
all the districts and Red Cross and state functionaries of Indian Medical
Association (IMA).

b) The DMs & District Health Officers may have district specific groups with
officials of all concerned departments of the districts, Municipal
corporations/Committees, IMD, Red Cross, IMS, NGOs & hospitals at the
district level and officials of all concerned departments of the
tehsils/talukas/blocks in the district.

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 c) Tehsils/talukas/block level groups may have officials of all concerned
departments of the tehsils/talukas/blocks, Gram Pradhans/Panchayat
Secretaries, doctors of primary, secondary & private hospitals and NGOs,
Red Cross, IMA and other active/progressive individuals in the block,
Village level self-help groups, village level women societies such as
Anganwadis etc.

3. Nodal Agency
India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences, is the nodal
agency for prediction and issue of forecast and warning of the thunderstorm &
lighting activity in India. Responsibility of DDMAs, Blocks and Panchayts for
dissemoinating Early Warning are being spelt out.

4. Role and Responsibility Matrix

A proper IRS should be notified for the undermentioned matrix assigning
responsibility along with geographical areas covering complete areas ,
communication system and intervention mechanism.

Level Agency Action

National Nodal agency: IMD  Issue area-specific warnings/ alerts and
weather forecasts

Ministry of IB  Dissemination of specific information to the

(PIB, AIR, public through print/ electronic and social
Doordarshan) media

Department of  Implements Common Alert Protocol (CAP) to

Telecommunications disseminate early warning message,
whenever available
 Facilitate Pushing of SMS by telecom service
operators to all active mobile connections in
the identified area as per IMD early
warning/forecast
Ministry of Power  Dissemination of specific warning message
to concerned power generation,
transmission, distribution and supply offices
Ministry of Home  Send specific warning message through the
Affairs (MHA) control room to all concerned central
Ministries/ Departments/ State(s) for action
Ministry of  Disseminate specific information to its
Agriculture and concerned sub-ordinate departments and
Farmers' Welfare State(s)
(MoA&FW)
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State State Governments/  Disseminate information received from the
SDMAs/COR/IPR IMD to the public through
and all concerned print/electronic/social and other mass media
Departments, at the local level.
NGOs/ Civil Society  Create a network of community-based early
warning dissemination systems
 Establish State-level monitoring and
warning dissemination system to
supplement warning(s) from the IMD
 Disseminate warning to District and regions
 Ensure push SMS by telecom service
operators to all active mobile connections in
the affected area.
 Activate the district administrations along
with line departments as soon as a specific
warning is received

District District Collector/  Disseminate information received from the

DDMA/ District IMD and state specific warning to the public
President, through print/electronic/social and other
NGOs/ Civil Society mass media at the local level.
 Ensure push SMS by telecom service
operators to all active mobile connections in
the affected area.
 To ensure cutting off of power supply and its
restoration
 Activate the all concerned departments, if
specific warning is received
 Ensure early warning information to reach
at last mile through SMS, Whatsapp group
at different level.
 Disseminate Dos’ and Don’ts and other IEC
material in local language
 NGOs/Active people may be involved in
dissemination of early warning/ forecast at
village level and also conducting workshop/
seminars/ media briefs in different village/
cities.

Tehsil/ BDO/ Tehsildar/  Circulate early warning information to all

Block Block Pramukh sub-ordinate officers and Panchayati Raj
NGOs/ Civil Society representatives through SMS, WhatsApp
group.
 Share information to all schools, PHCs,
CHCs, Agri-clinics, etc.

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 Panchayat Sarpanch/ Panchayat  Share early warning information to reach at
Secretary, Patwari, community through SMS, WhatsApp, group,
Teacher/ Medical loudspeaker etc.
Officer,  Create awareness through IEC in school,
NGOs/ Civil Society Anganwadi, village meeting PDS shop,
MNREGA workers
 Display IEC material and share to different
groups/ community and individuals

Village Ward Panch/  Share early warning information to villagers

Teacher / ASHA /and and community
other institutions  Distribute IEC materials

NGOs/ Civil Society  Discussion in various meetings

 NGOs/ Active people may be involved in
dissemination of early warning/ forecast at
village level.

5. Conclusion
Early warning dissemination protocol helps to reduce vulnerability and
mortality for thunderstorm and lighting. To comply the protocol, proper
institutionalisation, notification of IRS system, assigning accountability and co-opting
of other volntary organisations and NGOs and community is required. The protocol
also draws early warning/alerts communication and dissemination strategy along with
public awareness, community outreach and Information Education Communication
(IEC) at various levels, so that timely information reaches officials as well as the
general public to reduce the impact of extreme weather incidents. Pre-season
consultations should be held at the State, District and local level every year before the
commencement of the season. Before onset of lightning, aggressive community based
communications and interventions should be in place. During the season, “Do’s-and-
Don’ts” should be available in local languages and disseminated through various
media channels.

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 Early Warning Dissemination Flow

Numerical DWRs Satellite Other Observatory

Models Networks

IMD (MoES)

NDMA/MHA EW RMC/ SEOC

Dissemination
Ministries/Dept. (Kisan s
Portal of MoAFW, CWC, District / DDMA
MoHFW, MHRD and NIC States/UTs
 Chief Secretary
 Prl. Secretary Academic
Print and Elect.  SDMA/DDMAs Institutions
Media

All line Local Bodies Autonomous Print and

Departments Electronic
(ULBs/PRI) District Collector/ body Media
Zila Parishad
Adhyaksh

District Municipality Tehsil / Print and

Authority (Zilla Panchayat) Block Dev. Officer/ Revenue officer Elect. Media
Block Pramukh

Block level Head -Block Head -Panchayat NGOs / Local

Dept./officer Panchayat (Sarpanch/Secy.) CSOs media

Local institutions Different Village Individual Other informal

(School, AWC, PDS shops, etc.) Community groups groups

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National Disaster Management Authority
Government of India
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