8 Davis AWS stations are available in the Darjeeling Sikkim Himalaya - a brief tutorial on using the AWS.

Kindly refer STH blog of 21Nov2025 on the same subject 

Ever since two Davis Automatic Weather Stations were installed in Kalimpong under Project SHAMROCC in March 2016, I have consistently advocated for expanding the use of automatic weather stations across our region. In the Himalayas, where weather conditions can shift rapidly and the impacts of climate change are especially pronounced, timely and localized data is not a luxury—it is essential. Here, I am glad to inform you that as of now, we have 8 AWS in our vicinity from which updated weather inputs are available 24X7.

Against this backdrop, it is concerning that the extensive AWS network maintained by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which was previously accessible to the public, has been taken off open access since around March 2025 and now requires login credentials.

AWS can transform how we understand and respond to weather in fragile mountain ecosystems. These systems automatically record and transmit real-time weather data without the need for human intervention.
In the Himalayas, where terrain is rugged and access is limited, AWS are indispensable. They provide continuous, high-accuracy data from remote locations, filling critical gaps left by traditional observation methods. This is especially important as climate change accelerates shifts in weather patterns, glacier melt, and extreme events.
AWS also play a key role in strengthening early warning systems and can help map changing rainfall patterns. 

For those interested in using the global Davis AWS system, here is quick tutorial:

1. Install the Weatherlink Mobile app from Google Playstore. You may have to create an account and register.
2. Open the app and add stations by hitting the + sign in the top left hand corner. Here searching by place names gives satisfactory results 
eg searching for 'Kurseong' will give 'STH KURSEONG NEW' result.
Touch the flag icon on the left to confirm adding the station - it will turn GREEN.
3. In our vicinity, you can add the following 8 stations:
a. Kalimpong - for 'STH AWS' (operated by SaveTheHIlls).
b. Kurseong - for 'STH KURSEONG NEW' (operated by SaveTheHIlls).
c. Ahalay - for 'AHALAY GBN AWS' (operated by Govt of WB, in Gorubathan).
d. Darjeeling - for 'ST PAUL'S SCHOOL METEOROLOGICAL STATION' (operated by SPS, Darjeeling).
e. Pedong - for 'BSA AWS-PEDONG' (operated by Bal Suraksha Abhiyan, Kalimpong).
f. Todey - for 'BSA AWS, TODEY, KALIMPONG' - (operated by Bal Suraksha Abhiyan, Kalimpong) - Todey is located in the eastern most corner of Kalimpong district, close to Bhutan.
g. Gangtok - for 'LAMA BUILDING' (privately operated).
h. Gangtok - for 'SSDMASEEDS' (operated by Sikkim Govt).
4. Your phone display should look something like this👇

Do experiment with the various features which are on the app to receive updated weather information from the DAVIS AWS located in our area as well as all over the world.

Praful Rao
SaveTheHills
savethehills@gmail.com
9475033744