Nine towns and a city in Cebu will now be able to have real-time monitoring of the local weather with the distribution of Automated Weather System (AWS) units.
The Weather Philippines Foundation (WPF) Inc. yesterday turned over the weather monitoring units to the towns of Alcoy, Daanbantayan, Dumanjug, San Francisco, Madridejos, Malabuyoc, Santander, San Remegio, Tuburan and Bogo City.
The AWS is intended to give localized and more accurate weather predictions to help LGUs prepare better for typhoons and other extreme weather events.
“It is difficult to react if you don’t have localized weather predictions,” said WPF General Manager Celso Caballero.
The AWS consists of an anemometer, a device that measures temperature and humidity, global radiation, wind speed and direction and a rain gauge.
Caballero said each unit, imported from Germany, costs between $2,500 to $3,000 or roughly P120,000.
Once operational, the AWS transmits data from its sensors to WPF servers every ten minutes. Resident meteorologists will then translate and process the data for easy understanding and upload it to the WPF website every hour.
The data loggers in the units primarily utilize General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) to send information but in areas where Internet connection is unavailable, Short Messaging Service (SMS) is used.
Caballero said that the cost of the units is shouldered by the project’s sponsors. He added that in the last 2 years, WPF has already deployed 478 AWS units all over the country.
About 8 AWS units were earlier installed in Metro Cebu last year.
“This year, we’re ambitious enough to say we hope we reach 1,000 by the end of the year,” he said.
On behalf of the LGUs, Alcoy Mayor Nick de los Santos accepted the task and committed to protect and maintain the devices and make sure the project is sustained.
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