First annual forum for weather enthusiasts kicks off

Muscat: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) organized at its premises in Muscat today the first annual forum for weather buffs, as part of (Oman’s Met Friends Initiative). The forum was held in the presence of Eng. Nayef Ali Al Abri, CAA Chairman.

The forum aims at enhancing communication with weather buffs and identifying their talents in diverse fields of meteorology.

As many as 250 weather buffs in the Sultanate of Oman took part in the forum. It included a dialogue session aimed at achieving community partnership by containing the ideas and initiatives of weather buffs and listening to their queries and opinions.

The dialogue session dealt with three main themes that covered governance of meteorological activities, the meteorological system (resources and capabilities), knowledge of aspects of partnership with weather buffs and ways to enhance them.

Eng. Nayef Ali Al Abri, CAA Chairman, said: “The Authority always seeks to engage weather buffs and benefit from their experience.”

He added the forum is a starting point for getting to know weather buffs closely to familiarize with the experiences they have gained and their physical and material efforts in order to provide accurate information and a true picture of weather on reality.

Abdullah Rashid Al Khadhouri, Director General of Meteorology underscored the importance of building an effective partnership with weather buffs and how to benefit from their capabilities and skills in order to develop work in the field of meteorology.

He stressed the importance of organizing the process of publishing and circulating weather forecast, limiting the spread of rumours, and not rushing to present long-term, inaccurate forecasts, especially during tropical conditions.

A number of weather buffs also presented their inspiring projects in the areas of designing aerial illustration maps, atmospheric analysis, climate forecast, photographs and documenting adverse weather conditions, as well as “Rasda” project and how it works.

Participants in the forum visited the National Multiple Hazards Early Warning Centre. They learned about the services and technologies used in the field of monitoring, analysis and forecasting, and how to deal with adverse climatic conditions.

Through this forum, CAA seeks to attract weather buffs by organizing an annual forum, providing training workshops related to this field, and conducting joint awareness meetings between meteorologists and weather buffs in various governorates of the Sultanate of Oman to disseminate the culture on weather and climate. – ONA