The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) recently announced that it is currently testing a new weather forecasting model which is expected to enable the agency to forecast the occurrence of storms two weeks in advance.
This was reported by Dr. Esperanza Cayanan, PAGASA Deputy Administrator for Research and Development, during the weekly public report of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Facebook.
She added that this is now in use or being tested by weather forecasters.
She said the new weather forecasting model is based on numerical models used by the United States’ Global Forecasting System and by Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau
Cayanan noted that the new model now being considered by PAGASA was used to determine the arrival of typhoon Ambo into the country last May.
“So nakita na natin kung saan pupunta at nagkaroon tayo ng magandang idea (So we were able to determine the storm’s direction and it gave us a good idea),” she recounted.
Aside from the new model, DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Pena also revealed during the weekly report that PAGASA received from the Weather Philippines Foundation (WFP) last June 24 the donation of weather instruments and equipment.
The donation includes 44 Automatic Weather Stations installed in different locations in the country and two satellite communication transmitters.
Also donated to the agency were: 11 Integrated parameter sensors for temperature, pressure, humidity, solar radiation, wind speed and direction; 11 rain gauge sensors; 22 instrument cables; 22 10-watt solar panels; and 10 ASTI ARQ data loggers.
“These instruments, particularly the 44 sets of AWS installed in different locations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, will boost the weather observation capability of DOST-PAGASA, particularly in areas where there are observation gaps,” said de la Pena.