Pagasa starts installing additional rain gauges

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has started installing additional rain gauges in selected flood-prone areas in preparation for the rainy season. Pagasa administrator Prisco Nilo said the weather bureau has partnered with Smart Communication Inc. to install an automatic rain gauge inside a Smart cell site in Montalban, Rizal, one of the areas severely affected by tropical storm “Ondoy” in September last year.

Nilo said rains are expected to come in the middle of June.

Susan Espinueva, chief of the Pagasa’s Hydrometeorological Division, said there are seven existing rainfall stations located in the area of the Marikina-Pasig River.                  

She said 15 to 20 automatic rain gauges will be installed in Metro Manila this year.                             

Espinueva said the rain gauges were acquired through a project funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Each automatic rain gauge costs around P500,000.  Nilo said Pagasa will procure 60 additional automatic rain gauges to be installed in flood-prone areas nationwide.