THE PHILIPPINES, MAY 21, 2012: As summer is almost over, it may be a good time to prepare for the onset of the rainy season. The Philippines’ fastest growing satellite TV provider and TV5 sister company CIGNAL will launch the Weather Information Network (WIN) – the country’s first dedicated 24/7 weather and public information channel.
As the country prepares for the onset of the rainy season, which according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) starts the middle of May this year, WIN comes at the right time to provide information on the constantly changing weather patterns.
“TV5’s continuing improvement in their weather broadcasting system and closer cooperation with PAGASA will contribute significantly to the reduction of damages and casualties due to severe weather events,” says PAGASA Chief Dr. Nathaniel Servando.
TV5 invested heavily in developing its weather news broadcast capability by partnering with METRA, the world’s number 1 weather news service and recognized provider of weather products and services, such as graphical rendition of weather updates for use by its media and other industry clients. METRA is New Zealand’s privately owned meteorological service and is a member of the UN World Meteorological Organization. It has over a hundred clients in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and Australia. Multinational corporations, such as those involved in energy, infrastructure, retail and food services, use METRA to fine tune its operations in order to maximize profits and minimize loss.
Using METRA’s advanced computer based weather visualization system and information from PAGASA, TV5 will provide updates easily understandable to the laymen audiences instead of a static map and grainy black and white satellite photo.
With METRA provided graphics, TV5 can now tell the weather story visually and better than anyone in the Philippine broadcast industry. Full color and full motion graphics can show projected storm tracks, wind direction, rain volume and water conditions. Apart from giving the general overview of Philippine weather, TV5 is able to do fly – bys of regional and provincial weather as well as niche weather updates, such as beach resorts, shipping and seven day forecasts.
PAGASA, along with the AGHAM Partylist and the Philippine Meteorology Society, noted the highly visual, easily understandable weather updates. “What News5 is doing is not just utilizing pretty faces or wacky personalities is very helpful para maintindihan ng mga tao ang kahalagahan ng isang weather bulletin o ng isang weather report,” Palmones said. “Magandang effort ito para maintindihan ng mga tao kung ano ang kahalagahan ng meteorology program by understanding yung pagbabago n gating panahon through weather reporting,” Palmones added, “Magpatuloy yung mga innovation ng ginagawa so that makatulong ng husto ang pagunawa ng publiko sa kahalagahan ng weather updates.”
For non-Cignal subscribers, relevant and up-to-date weather reports will still be possible through TV5’s free-to-all platforms such as TV5, Aksyon TV, Radyo Singko and InterAksyon.com’s weather updates.
