More rain gauges to predict prov’l weather patterns

SAN JOSE, Antique – Antique needs more rain gauges to accurately predict weather patterns, said Broderick Train of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).
Of particular concern is the northern part of the province.
Antique is elongated, stretching out from the boundaries of Aklan in the north and Iloilo in the south. It has different weather patterns, Train said.
More rain gauges must be set up in the south, central and northern portions of Antique, he suggested.
He recalled the devastating Typhoon “Frank” in 2008.
Automatic gauges are important for early warning in areas easily affected by flashfloods, Train said.
Engr. Eleazar Moscoso, science research specialist of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Antique, said the province presently has two rain gauges -- in Brgy. San Pedro, San Jose town and Brgy. Pangpang, Sibalom.
The rain gauge in Brgy. San Pedro is manually operated in coordination with the local government of San Jose de Buenavista. It started its operation in July last year.
Reporting time is daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. During extreme weather conditions, reporting becomes frequent even at night time.
The one in Brgy. Pangpang, Sibalom is still being completed. This one is fully automatic and will transmit its report automatically to the central office of tge Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said Moscoso./PN