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Four marine weather forecasting centres to be set up by year-end

"The Depatment expects to complete the installation of four marine stations in different parts of the country by the end of the current year," said Shaikha Mowza Ali Hamad Al Mualla, Assistant Under-Secretary for Telecommunications, Finance and Administration Department and UAE Premanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

In an interview to Khaleej Times, Shaikha Mowza said that the project comes within the framework of the Department to modernise its services and maintain accuracy and precision in weather forecasting.

One of the main objectives of the project is to serve national oil producing companies, which require marine weather forecasting to facilitate their mission, said Shaikha Mowza.

"We have also adopted other several projects for the current year in order to improve the performance of the deparment and avail of modern technology in meteorology, so as to provide quality weather forecasting and serve various sectors in the society whose services largely rely on weather information," she said.

Installing of 'High Resolution Model' station at the Department, with the capacity of precise weather forecasting for 10 consecutive days is also part of our programme for 2003, said Shaikha Mowza.

The ministry has also started a programme for linking Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah airports to the deparment by a 'leased-line', so as to provide weather route information to operational flights.

Measures have also been taken, in coordination with foreign companies, to launch a web site for the department, she said.

"This project, which aims at availing the department of the satellite facilities and European network on meteorology, will be finalised next month. The electronic network is expected to beef up the database at the department," said Shaikha Mowza.

A training programme for schoolchildren and university students focusing on initial meteorologic training will also be conducted during summer holidays, she said.

The department has also organised similar training courses for national staff at different public institutions including Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the UAE Armed Forces, said Shaikha Mowza.

"Seven hi-tech automatic weather stations were also set up by the department last month at a cost of Dh975,000 at various parts of the country, including Liwa, Marwa Island in Abu Dhabi, Kalba and Dhaid (Sharjah), Dibba (Fujairah), Masfout (Ajman) and Kibdah in Ras Al Khaimah," she said.

The stations will help the department in saving time and collecting accurate data for weather forecasting and climatic changes, she added.

On the future plans, Shaikha Mowza said that the department was planning to set up an Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC) training Centre in the capital to enhance joint efforts by the member states in upgrading meteorological services in the region.

"The regional training centre also aims to enrol more national cadres in the field of meteorology, in order to support the policy of emiratisation of posts adopted by the UAE government," said Shaikha Mowza.

She said that efforts were also under way to turn the Department into an authority so as to reduce the financial burden on the government and secure accurate weather forecasting data.

"We are also planning to set up two educational seismic stations to function as a nucleus for installing a national seismic centre in the near future," said Shaikha Mowza.

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