Overview
- The Office of the Special Relief Commissioner issued an advisory warning against sharing false or speculative cyclone forecasts circulated by individuals and self‑styled weather experts.
- The advisory says unverified predictions of tracks, landfall locations or timelines can trigger panic buying, cause artificial shortages and lead farmers to harvest crops prematurely.
- It instructs the public, media organisations and digital content creators to verify all weather information against official India Meteorological Department bulletins and SRC advisories.
- The government cited the Disaster Management Act and specifically referenced Section 54, which allows up to one year’s imprisonment or a fine for false alarms, and Section 51 on penalties for obstructing authorised officials.
- Officials said they will pursue legal action where deliberate misinformation or obstruction of disaster response is found, a move the SRC frames as a preventive step to protect public safety and keep relief operations running smoothly.