I can’t believe there is another storm brewing, just to the west of us, that might develop into Tropical Storm Philippe by tomorrow morning. It seems to be tracking some distance away from Jamaica, but Cuba and the Bahamas are already issuing warnings. I keep wondering when our luck is going to run out, this hurricane season.
Perhaps it will hold, but it has been grim for the Caribbean. Meanwhile, our Met Service will greatly benefit from this assistance via the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience. Forecasting is so critical, and having the right technology to predict our weather is a must. Here is the latest on this new project from the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation:
October 23, 2017
Installation of Real Time Automatic Weather Stations Begins Across The Island
Jamaica’s weather forecasting capacity will be boosted with the addition of 35 automatic weather stations to the Meteorological Service Division’s (MSJ) network across the island. The weather stations, which will be outfitted with the capability to transmit real time data, are being acquired and installed as part of the Improving Climate Data and Information Management Project (ICDIMP) under the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR).
The ICDIMP is funded by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), administered through the World Bank and is being executed by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and other partners.
To date, automatic weather stations have already been installed at six sites and it is projected that installation at the 35 sites will be completed by the end of January 2018.
Project Manager for the ICDIMP, Lehome Johnson, advised that this is just one phase of the upgrading works which involves the MSJ. He said, “A major component of the project involves upgrading the hydro-meteorology (hydro-met) data collection systems and updating weather forecasting mechanisms so that as a country, we can use the data to inform and improve climate resilient planning. Apart from the automatic weather stations, plans are far advanced for the installation of a sea level tide gauge at the Montego Bay Pier and the team is assessing the possibility of an additional site on the South Coast”.
The MSJ has a target of 188 weather stations islandwide and with the assistance from the ICDIMP, the network will be boosted to approximately fifty (50) percent of that target. Evan Thompson, Director of the Meteorological Service, says that the automatic weather stations will allow the staff members faster access to weather data which they will be able to use to make credible forecasts, guide the flash flood watch/warning processes and advance internal efforts to provide improved weather and climate products to key stakeholders and the general public.
Making reference to the installation of the sea-level tide gauges, Mr. Thompson said, “This will be instrumental for accurate measurements of tidal heights which could be used to develop and provide other products and services to the local marine community who currently have need for this type of information. Consequently, the data from the tide gauges will improve (and verify) our annual tide predictions. During tropical cyclone events, MSJ Forecasters will have the capability to monitor storm surges and, to a lesser extent, data recorded by the tide gauges could be used by the ODPEM to confirm/detect the occurrence of a tsunami. In addition to supporting the internal processes of the MSJ, data from these tide gauges will be very useful to climate scientists who will now have more data points in the Caribbean Sea from which to monitor changing mean sea levels.”
The PPCR was conceptualized to implement practical solutions to strengthen resilience to the impacts of climate change. The ICDIMP was launched in January 2016 and is one of a suite of projects giving effect to the goals and objectives of Jamaica’s Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR) which is geared towards the climate change adaptation imperative outlined in Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan.
For further information, please contact:
Lehome Johnson l
The Planning Institute of Jamaica l
16 Oxford Road, Kingston 5, Jamaica l
Tel: (876) 935-5049 l
Email: lehome_johnson@pioj.gov.jm l October 23, 2017
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