Nowcasting

noun (also gerund of the verb "nowcast")

/ˈnaʊkɑːstɪŋ/

Weather forecasting for a very short period (typically 0-3 hours ahead), providing detailed, location-specific predictions of severe weather events such as thunderstorms, lightning, and heavy rainfall -- relies heavily on Doppler radar and satellite data.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

As official GDP estimates arrive only with a quarter's lag, the Reserve Bank of India increasingly relies on nowcasting — synthesising high-frequency signals such as GST collections, e-way bills, electricity demand and digital payments — to read the economy's pulse in real time and calibrate monetary policy before the headline data are confirmed.

Synonyms

real-time estimationshort-term forecastingcurrent-state predictionreal-time assessmentimmediate forecasting

Antonyms

long-range forecastinghindcastingretrospective analysisbackcasting

🌱 Word Family

nowcast (v./n.), nowcaster (n.), nowcasts (n. pl.), nowcasting (n./v. pres.p)

🔡 Root

Coined/Modern: now (Old English nū) + forecasting (fore- + cast); coined 1980s for real-time prediction

📜 Etymology

Coined in the 1980s from now + forecasting; reflects the focus on immediate, real-time weather prediction as distinct from longer-range forecasting.

🧠 Memory Hook

"NOW + foreCASTING" — forecasting not the distant future but the here-and-NOW, using live data to know what is happening before the official numbers catch up.

⚠️ Disaster Management 📖 Seen in: Community-Based Disaster Management & ...

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