P.N.G HANDS OVER AVIATION SERVICES TO S.I. MET SERVICE
A cyclone watch for Solomon Islands. Photo credit: ABC.
The Papua New Guinea National Weather Service has handed over aviation services to the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service.
These services were handed to Papua New Guinea during the height of the ethnic crisis when resources become scarce and the capability of SIMS was compromised.
Work to formally takeover the aviation services took almost two years due to new international standard requirements, including a capacity development for weather forecasters.
The training was conducted last year with the support of the World Meteorological Organization and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
Following the training, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service and the PNG National Weather Service in April this year.
Trials on communication of aviation forecasts were then trialed for almost two weeks.
As of Thursday night, responsibilities for Aviation forecasts such as Terminal Area Forecasts, Area 15 Forecasts, and significant weather phenomena’s such as Tropical Cyclone for Solomon Islands is now with the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service.