New Delhi, November 18: India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has been conferred the Sir Gilbert Walker Award 2025 by the Indian Meteorological Society (IMS) for his contributions to meteorological science, forecasting innovation, and severe weather warning systems.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the IMD said the prestigious award, also known as the Sir Gilbert Walker Gold Medal, recognises lifetime achievements in discovering new atmospheric phenomena, advancing scientific understanding of weather processes, and developing services that benefit society.

Mohapatra, the IMD's Director General of Meteorology, has earned the sobriquet of the ‘cyclone man of India’ for modernising India’s cyclone warning system since 2007, leading to a major leap in forecast accuracy and preparedness in cyclone-prone regions.

Dr. Mohapatra was born on 12 August 1965 in Bhadrak district, Odisha. He passed post-graduation in Physics from Utkal University in 2007

Dr. Mohapatra started his career at the Defence Research & Development Organisation, Chandipur, Odisha, in 1988.

He joined as a Lecturer in Physics at DK College, Jaleswar, Odisha, in 1990 and IMD in 1992 as a Meteorologist.