A new weather forecasting system in Africa allows meteorologists to track approaching storms in real time, potentially saving lives from climate-related disasters, scientists said on Monday. The technology is already used in developed countries but was not available until recently in most of sub-Saharan Africa, according to scientists behind the project at the University of Leeds.
The new method, called nowcasting, was tested in Kenya last year. The state now uses it regularly and it has helped with the evacuation of people affected by landslides and mudslides in Western Kenya and flooding on Lake Victoria, Koros said. Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana also have teams interpreting the satellite-derived data and issuing warnings through an initiative funded by the British government.
Extreme weather is becoming more common in Africa as the planet warms, resulting in huge losses for economies dependent on farming and countless deaths due to floods and mudslides. Nowcasting uses satellites that monitor changes in the atmosphere. Information recorded in space can reach the forecasters’ desks in 15 minutes. It allows meteorologists to alert people that there is a storm very close and headed their way, said Parker. The forecasts now cover all of Africa and are freely available online, but interpreting and disseminating the data is another question.
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
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