Ecobreves – CUBA: Improved Radars for Climate

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HAVANA, Dec 19 2005 (IPS) - Cuba aims to finalize automation of its eight climate radars during the first half of 2006, with notable improvement for the early warning and alert system for extreme weather. With the system's automation, the forecasts will be more effective and reliable, because the data on tropical storms, for example, can be tracked and processed in real time, Orfilio Peláez, a member of the Cuban Meteorology Society's executive board, explained to Tierramérica.

Each radar has a range of about 300 km, although some reach 400 km, added the expert. The updating with digital technology began in 2000, with a program created by engineers at Cuba's Meteorology Center at Camaguey.