adminInnocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
THE Meteorological Services Department has acquired 15 automatic weather stations worth more than US$200 000 to be installed in disaster-prone and remote areas of the country. In an interview at the Harare Agricultural Show, the department’s engineer, Cornelius Madhaure, said one of the weather stations was being used at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly in Victoria Falls while another one was on display at the department’s stand.
“Some of the equipment has already been installed at some remote areas across the country such as in Tuli and Tsholotsho.
“These new machines have a central processing unit which automatically sends data to the central office at given times. It does not need any monitoring.
“It uses a GSM modem and sends messages like a mobile phone. The power consumption is low, and the station can operate unattended for long periods of time using solar cells. It is also user friendly and has sensors which measure wind speed, temperature, solar radiation and rainfall, among other functions,” he said.
He said the new equipment would work together with the manual weather stations, adding that more were still required.
Mr Madhaure said the automatic weather stations remove human error as they record everything automatically, but the problem was that of security.
Some of the equipment being used at some stations is believed to be 100 years old or more.
The earliest weather stations in Zimbabwe were set up at Harare and Bulawayo early in the 20th century.
The department has devised numerous strategies, among them replacing some equipment at international airports and meteorological stations countrywide while plans are on course to offer a degree in meteorology in partnership with a local university.
The MSD was also working towards an ISO certification to improve service and meet international standards.
Online Reporter