India Cloud Cover Forecast Map
VayuMet's Cloud Cover layer maps cloud fraction across India by altitude band from NOAA GFS — low, medium, high and total cloud cover as a percentage, a convective cloud cover fraction, and cloud ceiling height in metres. A live Himawari-9 infrared satellite layer is available separately for real-time cloud-top imagery.
What's on the Map
- Low Cloud Cover — cloud fraction (%) in the lowest atmospheric layer, relevant to ceiling and visibility.
- Mid Cloud Cover — cloud fraction (%) in the middle atmospheric layer.
- High Cloud Cover — cloud fraction (%) in the upper atmosphere, typically cirrus.
- Total Cloud Cover — combined cloud fraction (%) across all levels.
- Conv Cloud Cover — cloud fraction (%) attributed to convective activity, useful for spotting developing thunderstorm cells.
- Cloud Ceiling Ht — height (m) of the lowest significant cloud layer, an aviation-relevant ceiling estimate.
For real-time cloud-top imagery rather than a forecast, the main map's Live Observations group also carries continuously-refreshed Himawari-9 infrared and sandwich RGB satellite layers over South and Central Asia.
Questions This Page Answers
- Will low cloud keep ceilings below visual flight limits around dawn?
- Will cloud cut solar generation tomorrow, and for how long?
- Is convective cloud building where afternoon thunderstorms may follow?
How to Read It
- Low cloud is the operational layer. It sets ceiling and visibility; high cloud rarely matters for take-off and landing.
- Not all cloud blocks the sun equally. Thin high cirrus can show a large cloud fraction while letting much of the sunlight through; thick low and mid cloud cuts irradiance far more. For solar decisions, read the layers rather than Total Cloud Cover alone.
- Rising convective cloud through the afternoon is a watch signal for thunderstorms — cross-check the Rain + Radar Flash layer on the Rainfall Forecast page.
- Forecast versus reality: compare with live Himawari-9 satellite imagery on Live Observations to see whether the model has the cloud in the right place today.
Go Deeper
- District 10-Day Forecast — the Aviation tab turns ceiling and visibility into flight categories (VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR) hour by hour.
- Solar and wind resource explained — including a cloud-suppressed solar day in a real forecast run.
- Aviation dashboard — cloud ceiling, icing and significant weather for flight planning.
Data Source
| Dataset | Operator | Resolution | Update Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GFS (Global Forecast System) | NOAA / NCEP | 0.25° | 4× daily (00Z, 06Z, 12Z, 18Z) |
| Himawari-9 (live satellite) | JMA | Satellite native | Continuous (~10 min) |
Who Uses This
Cloud cover and ceiling height maps support flight planning where low cloud or ceiling affects VFR minimums (see the Aviation Dashboard for full aviation weather), solar generation forecasting where cloud cover determines irradiance, and general situational awareness for developing convective weather.