Hundreds of automated weather stations (AWS) are set to be installed across the country to increase accurate weather forecasting, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has announced.
Speaking in this regard, Chief Meteorologist PMD Karachi, Sardar Sarfaraz, said that 300 AWS will be installed all over Pakistan to effectively predict the weather for at least 10 days.
The project will be funded by the World Bank. It will be completed in three years. The AWS will record a number of meteorological indicators including temperature, speed and direction of the wind, humidity, the height of clouds, and visibility.
Currently, five AWS are installed in Karachi, including one at Jinnah International Airport. Overall, 17 AWS are installed in Sindh. After the completion of the World Bank-funded project, 55 AWS will be installed in the province.
Under the project, each tehsil will have its AWS. The AWS will be powered by solar energy. The solar-based AWS will transmit accurate data with minimum human intervention.
Moreover, the project in Sindh will be carried out on the agriculture and irrigation department’s land. Whereas, the AWS will be implemented on state land in the rest of the provinces.