New Doppler Radar Station Marks Significant Investment In Weather Preparedness

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the commissioning of the Meteorological (Met) Service of Jamaica’s new S-band Doppler weather radar station at Coopers Hill, St. Andrew, represents a significant investment in the country’s capacity to prepare for and respond to increasingly extreme weather events.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony on October 28, Mr. Samuda said the technology, supported by advanced forecasting systems and climate-related knowledge products, will enhance decision-making across several critical sectors, including agriculture, transportation, national security, and water management.

He noted that Jamaica’s weather patterns have changed significantly, with the country experiencing more intense hurricanes and tropical storms, as well as prolonged droughts and extended periods of extreme heat.

Over the past five years, the country has endured three of its five most severe droughts on record, with Kingston and St. Andrew recording just 17 per cent of their 30-year average rainfall in February 2023.

Mr. Samuda said the radar project, which sustained significant damage shortly before its originally scheduled commissioning in May 2022, was subsequently completed through the support of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

He expressed appreciation to Finance Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, and the PIOJ team for their assistance in bringing the project to fruition.

Minister Samuda explained that the investment goes beyond weather forecasting, with the information generated helping to inform critical decisions such as road closures in flood-prone areas, agricultural interventions, and the deployment of Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) resources.

He also highlighted the Met Service’s Bushfire Warning Index and the Jamaica Systemic Risk Assessment Tool (JSRAT), which leverage climate and infrastructure data to forecast potential damage from extreme weather events.

Mr. Samuda said JSRAT accurately forecast the flooding and infrastructure damage associated with Hurricane Melissa.

The Minister further disclosed that Cabinet has approved the acquisition of a supercomputer by the PIOJ in partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI).

The facility is expected to support advanced weather forecasting, improve the accuracy of bushfire predictions, and strengthen JSRAT, while enabling the development of a water-sector management dashboard to provide real-time data for planning and resource allocation.

Mr. Samuda also announced the development of the Hurricane Melissa Jamaica Chronicle, which will document the disaster, as well as the national response and recovery efforts, for future generations.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Williams said the radar provided meteorologists with real-time data on Hurricane Melissa’s speed, trajectory, and intensification, affording authorities valuable time to prepare and make critical decisions.

She noted that the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) estimated the physical damage caused by the hurricane at approximately US$8.8 billion, with broader economic losses amounting to roughly 57 per cent of Jamaica’s 2024 gross domestic product (GDP).

Mrs. Williams said the radar, which cost US$2.5 million, represents a significant return on public investment, stressing that resilience must be treated as a form of core infrastructure.

She also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting households still recovering from the hurricane, noting that an additional J$2 billion had been allocated to the roofing programme.