20th-22nd March 2023, Guyana - CIMH Press Release

The Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) in collaboration with the Telecommunication and Maintenance Section of the Hydrometeorological Service of Guyana carried out a series of site assessment visits from 20-22 March, to support the enhancement of the climate observation station network in Guyana.

Supported by the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Caribbean Programme, the CIMH, whose functions include data management for Member States of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO), continues to assess the climate and hydrometeorological observation and early warning station networks in beneficiary countries. These assessments are geared towards addressing gaps in the networks by supporting the procurement of instruments and installation activities needed to retrofit or rehabilitate Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) in Jamaica, Dominica and Guyana, the focal point countries of the Programme.

In Guyana, three AWSs, Orealla in the east, St. Ignatius in the west, and Kaietuer in central Guyana were visited by a four-man team including Dr. Jonathan Cox, Hydrologist from the CIMH, and Ron Deonandan, an Electrical Engineer with the Hydrometeorological Service. The purpose of these visits was to determine the current state of the AWSs and recommend updates and equipment replacements required to enable a return to standard operations.

During the three-day site assessment, a comprehensive inspection of each AWS was completed. Inspections included the thorough examination of instruments, installations, and the sites and their surrounding environs to identify areas of noncompliance with the guidance from the World Meteorological Organization. Based on the findings of the site assessment visits, the complete replacement of these three AWSs is recommended.

In a statement on the site assessment visits, Dr. Cox, acknowledged that “the three sites require the complete substitution of structures, sensors and enclosure fencing.” He also recommended periodic assessments of the equipment packages deployed at sites in Guyana due to changing environmental conditions.

Electrical Engineer Ron Deonandan noted that the restoration of these Stations to their full operational capacity was a priority to prevent an unwanted and extended break in data collection. He further explained that the rehabilitation of these AWSs was particularly critical as the Service was reliant on data produced by these Stations to provide climate services and products utilized by “local and international stakeholders and sectors for critical decision-making.”

 

Support for the Caribbean Intra-ACP ClimSA Programme is provided by the global Intra-ACP ClimSA Programme, a six-year initiative funded by the European Union (EU) that aims to improve the production, access to and use of climate information, services, and applications to support evidence-based decision-making across African, Caribbean, and Pacific States.