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Doppler radar tower to be completed early next year

Oct 06, 2008 News

– Agri. Minister

The much anticipated Doppler radar project is now scheduled to be completed in February 2009.
This is according to Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who noted that the project is one which has gone through some ‘trying times.’ Minister Persaud made these remarks during the ‘Open Day’ of the National Climate Change Unit and Hydrometeorological Service at the Botanic Gardens yesterday in celebration of Agriculture Month. 

He pointed out the issue of when construction had already commenced at the first location, and then had to be removed because the radar was being constructed at the wrong site. 

“But I’m quite sure it was a learning experience and a very worthwhile undertaking for the staff and others who were involved in the project,” Persaud said.

He added that, besides the construction of the radar, the ministry has implemented a number of plans and initiatives which are expected to improve the collection of data by the Hydromet Department.

In this regard, he said, the department has now increased the rainfall monitoring stations by as much as 30% over the past year, as its aim is to create linkages so as to benefit from data by GuySuCo. The department also intends to work along with Amerindian communities, so that comprehensive data can be collected.  

“We hope to have the radar up and running by February. I don’t envisage that we will have any other major setback that will prevent us from having that piece of technology… that vital piece of resource in making the work of the Hydromet Department much more, as you can say, accurate and relevant to our needs,” Minister Persaud noted. 

Kaieteur News had earlier reported that the Doppler radar tower at Timehri is behind schedule because there have been delays in acquiring some equipment from overseas.

This newspaper was told that the tower was scheduled to be finished in November, as just over 80 percent of the tower has been completed.

The agreement that was signed with the Caribbean Meteorological Organization had stated that the tower would have been completed and handed over in November. The installation of the radar equipment in Guyana is expected to be done in January.

After much controversy and the loss of approximately $40M, a new location was selected for the tower in mid-2007.  Kaieteur News reported that the construction of the building to house the Doppler weather system was too close to the airport’s Very High Frequency Omni Range (VOR), thus causing disruption.

Upon completion, the Doppler radar will be used to provide continuous real-time radar surveillance of up to 400 kilometres out, and will help forecasters define with greater accuracy the areas where severe weather is likely to form; identify the characteristic patterns indicating a high probability of severe thunderstorms; and improve forecasting time, intensity and location of heavy precipitation.

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