Basic HTML Version
7
The Papua New Guinea National Weather Service (NWS) has just completed installation of automatic weather
stations at Tambul (Western Highland Province), Aiyura (Eastern Highland Province) and at Porr Island (Siassi
Island Group). This was made possible through funding from the B-Envelope project under the European Union.
A team of five representatives from the PNG NWS embarked on an eleven hour journey by road from Lae
to Mt. Hagen passing through Eastern Highlands and Chimbu Provinces installing the AWS. The team also
installed Data Logging Rain Gauges at Mt. Hagen Secondary School, Kundiawa Lutheren Dei Secondary School
(Chimbu Province) and spent some time training teachers how to download the data from the rain gauges.
The team then returned to Lae and travelled by boat to Porr Island in the Siassi Islands to install an automatic
weather station at the Catholic Mission Station. It was quite a challenge particularly the distance travelled by
vehicle and outboard motor canoe but the mission was accomplished after a period of three weeks with all
weather stations now transmitting data.
The team leader, Robert Thompson, from the PNG NWS stated that the weather stations provide valuable data
on rainfall, temperature, wind etc. which is very important for agricultural activities in the Highlands Provinces.
The AWS installed at Porr Island relays the same information and important for coastal communities and
maritime information due to the strong winds coming through Vitiaz straight.
The B-Envelope Project Manager, George Beck, stated that this is all part of strengthening early warning
systems in PNG which is the overall aim if the project. “We still have one more AWS to install in Bouganville
which we hope to install in second quarter of 2012 including a few more rain gauges”.
Automatic Weather Stations installed in
Highlands and Siassi Islands, Papua
New Guinea