Pagasa installs rain gauges

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has started the mass installation of more than 70 automatic rain gauges across the country.

Co-located with the cell sites of Smart Communications Inc., these solar-powered rain gauges will use Smart’s SMS solutions and nationwide network coverage to transmit rainfall data to the weather bureau’s head office.

“The data gathered are utilized in weather and flood forecasting and warnings,” Pagasa administrator Dr. Nathaniel Servando said. “The data gathered are also used in Pagasa researches in support of the operational forecasting services, resulting in saving lives, livelihood, properties and infrastructures,” he added.

In 2010, Smart, along with other service providers, entered an agreement with Pagasa to allow the co-location of its weather monitoring devices in cell sites nationwide under a program of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation to help upgrade the country’s flood forecasting system.

The automatic rain gauge apparatus will catch rainfall through a tipping bucket mechanism that measures and logs water content and automatically sends the data to Pagasa’s database in the central office. Smart Public Affairs head Ramon Isberto said the project is a component of the company’s programs in supporting the government in its disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts.