India's 1st Cloud study lab

India’s first laboratory to study the formation of clouds and their interaction with the environment is taking shape at the popular hill station of Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. The location of the research centre, about 1,500m above the mean sea level, will give scientists an opportunity to study the clouds and study their interaction with the environment. Mahabaleshwar offers a unique location as it receives nearly 500 mm of rains every year while the surrounding plains are usually drought prone.  “The laboratory will be equipped with a large number of state-of-the-art equipment to measure all the micro-physical properties of the clouds and rain as well as environmental conditions such as the aerosols, winds, temperature and humidity at high temporal intervals,” an official said. Construction of the laboratory is expected to start after the monsoons in October, and is likely to be completed by June next year.