Letting the public know about an impending storm two days before it happens could lessen the impact of disasters when they strike.
Such an early warning system is in the pipeline after Monday’s torrential downpour which left 67 people dead, with roads and homes washed away, and thousands displaced.
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“We are collaborating with the SAWS and scientists from the early flood warning system, to see if we can send out information about severe weather or a potential natural disaster two or three days ahead of it happening. This has the potential to save lives.”
The SAWS has also been investigating how to issue clearer alerts about weather conditions, saying it was no longer good enough to provide a good weather forecast.
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Next month SAWS will launch its Impact-Based Severe Weather Warning Service, developed and tested together with the National Disaster Management Centre. It has been described as a “world-class severe weather warning service that evolves the warning message from ‘what the weather will be’ to ‘what the weather will do’”.
This means warnings will be issued with the impact expected and it will be easier to understand for the general public.
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