Ditwah disaster: AI can turn weather warnings into life-saving action.

• Cyclone Ditwah caused over 600 deaths and affected millions in Sri Lanka, highlighting a gap between accurate weather forecasts and specific impact prediction.
• South Asia needs to move beyond general weather forecasts to predict specific consequences like landslides and flooding to save lives.
• AI can integrate diverse datasets (satellite imagery, terrain analysis, real-time gauges) to provide localized, continuously updated risk assessments for disasters like landslides and urban flooding.
• India is advancing impact-based forecasting with initiatives from IMD and academic institutions, leveraging its strong scientific and technological infrastructure.
• Scaling pilot programs, integrating local knowledge into AI systems, and building regional capacity are crucial steps for India to lead in disaster preparedness.

Why It Matters: AI can predict disaster impacts, saving lives beyond weather forecasts.