MANILA - If Doppler radars were in place before a rain-heavy typhoon like Ondoy hit Luzon last weekend, the fatalities could not have reached 280, and the damages on infrastructure and agriculture almost P5 billion, critics of the weather bureau are saying.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has been saying that, too—for the last 5 years.
The Doppler is an instrument that can monitor the intensity and volume of rainfall, and could have warned the country’s meteorologists and authorities that Ondoy would be dumping a month’s worth of rain in just 6 hours. Precautions could have been taken, and early evacuation conducted.
Yet in a country that experiences an average of 20 tropical depressions, storms, and typhoons a year, the first brand new Doppler radar will be installed by December yet—5 years after PAGASA requested for it, and about 20 years after other countries first used such instrument for weather forecasting.
As PAGASA waited for the Dopplers, from 2005 to 2008, 47 typhoons hit the country. Typhoon Reming in 2006 killed more than 700 people and damaged P5.5 billion properties in Bicol. The same year, Typhoon Milenyo hit the region. More than 174 people died and P6.4 billion worth of properties were destroyed.
This year, there have 16 weather disturbances, so far. Seven of them were typhoons, including Ondoy that flooded Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, and Pepeng that threatened Northern Luzon with very strong winds. -
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PAGASA sought high-tech radars 5 years and 54 typhoons ago | ABS-CBN News Online Beta
Wala jud au ato gobyerno, cge ug tinihik, cge ug pangurakot.. Walay ika palit ug Radar..
Ang Damages or Repairs sa pila ka bagyo maka palit na unta ug pila ka Radar.. Pila na ka million na scandal ni manang gloria, wala jud sya ka palit ani, bisag porsyento nalang sa iya na bulsa.. Hay nalang Bayan kung Pilipinas..
Cge nalang ta ug in ani?