TMA invest in more radars to improve efficiency

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Meteorology Agency (TMA) says it expects to increase number of weather forecast radars for Mtwara, Mbeya and Kigoma regions with the aim of providing quality services in various sectors including the blue sector of the economy that includes oceans and great lakes.

TMA Director General Dr Agness Kijazi made the statement, when she met weather stakeholders in marine transport. She revealed that until now there are two weather forecast radars installed in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza regions.

Dr Kijazi explained that in ensuring it performed efficiently, the government had empowered TMA so it could expand its network of weather forecast equipment.

“We expect to increase the number of weather forecast radars for Mtwara, Mbeya and Kigoma regions as the aim is to strengthen and provide quality services that will help in weather forecast and various sectors including the blue sectors of the economy  that includes oceans and great lakes like Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa,” said Dr Kijazi.

She also commented that TMA was providing its services to users of the Indian Ocean including research on weather forecast for fishermen, marine transporters and precautions on strong winds, rough seas waves and a Tsunami precaution so to minimize effects that might occur.

She said natural disasters were unavoidable, but, she added, information was important to reach the targeted group before a disaster occurred, saying that information would help the relevant user, disaster management institutions and the government to get prepared for the effects that could occur.

For his part, Zanzibar Port Chief Assistant Captain Ali Machano Keis said once they got information about weather forecast from Zanzibar’s weather forecast main centre they would inform users of   the Indian Ocean including ship passengers to take precautions once on voyages to Unguja and Pemba.

The chairman of Zanzibar Rescue and Diving Community, Faki Mbarouk Faki, said TMA was supposed to give information about weather forecast regularly so to help those with no information to be aware of what was going on as the target was to reduce accidents and rescue people’s lives and their properties.