Collaboration ensures timely, critical weather updates directly on smartphone lock screens, enhancing public safety and preparedness

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has joined forces with InMobi’s 1Weather to provide real-time weather alerts to over 235 million smartphone users in India. Through this partnership, critical weather warnings, including cyclones, thunderstorms, and heavy rainfall, will be delivered directly to users’ lock screens via Glance, an AI-powered platform.

This strategic collaboration aims to empower Indian citizens with timely information on severe weather conditions, enabling them to take prompt action and stay safe without having to unlock their phones. The initiative comes at a time when IMD is enhancing its forecasting models to provide more accurate and localized weather updates.

Under the agreement, IMD’s advanced forecasting tools will predict and issue long-term alerts for large-scale events like cyclones, as well as hyper-localized warnings for short-term occurrences such as thunderstorms or heavy rain, often up to 5 days in advance. These updates will be distributed through Glance’s lock screen interface, making it easier for users to receive alerts instantly, regardless of where they are.

Glance, which offers a personalized content experience to smartphone users, is uniquely suited to disseminate important weather information in real-time. The platform adapts alerts to the user’s location and visual preferences, ensuring the information is clear and actionable.

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of IMD, said, “IMD is committed to enhancing its services for a safer India. By collaborating with 1Weather and leveraging AI, we’re taking another step toward delivering life-saving weather updates to the masses.”

Srikanth Subramanian, Vice President and General Manager of 1Weather, shared, “This partnership is a significant milestone in our mission to provide timely, actionable weather insights. We’re excited to bring this life-saving service to India, just as we’ve done in the USA.”

The weather alert feature is part of Glance’s ‘Glance for Good program’, which seeks to use technology for social impact, particularly in areas like disaster preparedness and public safety. The program ensures that critical weather data reaches individuals who need it the most, such as farmers and daily commuters.

The service will soon be available on Glance lock screens and through the 1Weather app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. This initiative is set to reach all major Android smartphone brands across India.