Africa-Press – Angola. The Executive invested 60 million euros for the installation of 65 weather stations in different regions of the country, announced this Friday in Luanda, the minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication (MINTICS).
Manuel Homem was speaking at the end of a series of observation visits to the Zango 4 Synoptic Meteorological Station, to the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (INAMET), and to the Robotesond (robotic probe) at 4 de Fevereiro Airport.
The minister said that the installation of agro-meteorological, synoptic, seismic, hydrological and lightning arresting stations are included in INAMET’s Strategic Development Plan.
Manuel Homem considered that the most important pillar of the plan has to do with the investments that will allow INAMET to have, today, better conditions to guarantee not only the weather information, but also data for other sectors such as transport. maritime, aerial, agricultural, as well as the drought situation that devastates the south of the country.
The official stressed that INAMET will continue to provide better information in the different sectors and allow us, in fact, to make all investments profitable.
Manuel Homem made it known that, within the scope of the existing partnership with Meta França Internacional (one of the largest meteorological agencies in the world), the first phase of the 65 installed stations will end in September of this year, and the continuation of the expansion and installation is expected. of seasons.
The official explained that the plan is determined in the restructuring of the network of meteorological, synoptic, agro-meteorological and seismic stations installed and that were not fully functioning.
At the moment, he said that the network restructuring program is proceeding normally, stressing that the stations installed will support the eight certified airports that the country has at its disposal.
Manuel Homem said that one of the outstanding equipment is the Robotesond, which is an equipment used for the daily launch of the meteorological balloon that allows measuring the temperature, wind force and atmospheric humidity.
The minister said that two more Robotesonds will be installed in Luena (Moxico province) and Lubango (Huíla), while airport stations are currently installed and the one at 4 de Fevereiro Airport (Luanda) has already been completed.
For the airports of Luena, Benguela, Catumbela, Cunene, Huíla and Cabinda, the minister announced that they are in the process of completing the installation of equipment in the infrastructures.
seasons on the rivers
The minister said that hydrological stations will be installed in other similar projects that are underway in the Kwanza and Cuvelai river basins, which will allow for a better understanding of the floods.
Manuel Homem highlighted that a total of 28 technicians from INAMET are undergoing training, technicians from the Department of Food Security and the provincial offices of Agriculture and the Institute of Agrarian Development (IDA) of Cunene, Huíla and Namibe. These will then train other technicians from those provinces.
This training takes place within the framework of the projects for Strengthening Resilience and Food and Nutritional Security in Angola (FRESAN), financed by the European Union and carried out by the Camões Institute.
weather balloon
The minister witnessed the launch, yesterday, of the “weather balloon”. About this instrument, the director general of INAMET, João Afonso, explained that it is a device for measuring the structure of the atmosphere.
He clarified that this equipment carries sensors that measure temperature, speed, wind strength and humidity, depending on the height.
João Afonso explained that the data captured by the “weather balloon” are sent to the Central Telecommunications Model, in the United States, which allows the correction of the global model, and are used for the regional prototype.
In Angola, there are currently 22 stations outside the €60 million investment project, four of which are conventional and totally outdated and, for the most part, operate automatically.
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