PH taps Hong Kong Observatory to enhance cyclone monitoring

By Ma. Cristina Arayata, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Intermittent heavy rains submerge Oroquieta Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Tuesday (July 23, 2024).

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Typhoon Carina enhanced the southwest monsoon in Metro Manila. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA – Aviation regulators and the weather bureau have tapped the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) for possible collaboration which aims to enhance the Philippines’ cyclone monitoring capability.

The move also seeks to enhance safety in the aviation sector, both the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Partnering with the HKO would involve the use of dropsonde, a technology that the Philippines does not have because it is too expensive, according to PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando.

“Dropsonde is a kind of technology using an aircraft flying on top of the typhoon and drop some sensors to gather atmospheric parameters to determine or study its intensity, and (identify) if there are changes, including in the speed and direction,” Servando told the Philippine News Agency in an interview on Thursday.

He confirmed that an aircraft could fly on top of a tropical cyclone, while it is too risky to fly on the same level because of the strong winds.

Servando added that pilots can locate a cyclone’s location using tools like satellite images.

In a news release, the CAAP said it met with a delegation from HKO on Tuesday to discuss the possible collaboration.

The HKO is recognized for its expertise in weather forecasting and issuing warnings on weather-related hazards, the CAAP said.

Discussions included the technical and logistical considerations for implementing dropsonde flights, as the HKO needs CAAP’s approval for entry and exit permits to conduct such flights within the Philippine airspace.

“Through the exchange of expertise and resources, CAAP and HKO aim to improve their capacity to predict and respond to extreme weather events, thereby ensuring the safety of the aviation sector and the broader community they serve,” the CAAP said.

Meanwhile, Servando said the possible collaboration will be a tripartite agreement among them, and that PAGASA has also met with the HKO.