Foundation to roll out 1,000 weather instruments

CEBU, Philippines - To help provide accurate localized weather forecasts and mitigate risks during times of natural calamities, Weather Philippines Foundation (WPF) is completing its rollout of about 1,000 automated weather instruments to various cities and provincial capitols nationwide in 2014.

Most of the instruments consist of automated weather stations (AWS) which are capable of determining temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation and rain locally. Localized weather data is then processed to provide the localized weather forecasts.

WPF completed 402 AWS in 2013 and conducted training on the use of these hardware as well as related software found in weather.com.ph. The provinces, cities and various media as well as private individuals relied on the AWS and its website for the latest forecasts during the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda.

“This is in line with the foundation’s thrust to contribute in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Tools in the website, for instance, assist and provide complimentary information to LGUs in planning and decision-making during severe weather situations,” said WPF General Manager Celso C. Caballero III.

To complement its initiative, the foundation trained about 358 city and provincial risk reduction personnel, public information officers and administrators nationwide to maximize use of tools on its website www.weather.com.ph.

WPF reported installation of 205 AWS in all cities and provincial capitols of the League of Cities of the Philippines and League of Provinces of the Philippines last year.

The roll-out of another 197 AWS were made possible by private donors and site partners such as mall chain SM and Pilmico Foods Corp. Rappler, Globe Telecoms, Primer Group, iAcademy, Geiser-Maclang and Cebu Pacific.

WPF is a non-profit organization founded by Aboitiz Foundation Inc., Unionbank and Europe’s leading weather service provider mminternational (formerly Meteomedia). WPF aims to deliver critical and accurate localized weather information readily available through the WPF website, www.weather.com.ph. (FREEMAN)