Recent weather events (Cyclones Dando and Funso, Flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and Severe Thunderstorms in many provinces) placed the emphases on the fact that the public in South Africa need free detailed radar images and free weather information and data to survive severe weather events.
SA Weather and Disaster Observation Service
PO Box 11488
HEIDERAND
6511
31 January 2012
The Chief Executive Officer
SA Weather Service
Head Office
Private Bag X097
PRETORIA
0001
Dear Sir/Me
Non availability of free static weather radar images leaves the general public in South Africa vulnerable to severe weather; request for free detailed weather radar images.
I have been tasked by the SA Weather and Disaster Observation Service (SAWDOS) and members of the public in South Africa to approach the SA Weather Service (SAWS) with the request to again make static weather radar images freely available to the public of South Africa.
As motivation the SAWDOS would like to focus your attention on the following:
The SAWDOS is fully aware of :
- The SAWS’s strategy/policy in generating commercial revenues from companies and the general public that gain from access to weather information for profit.
- The SAWS’s strategy/policy to decrease the funding burden of the state and the attempts by the SAWS to generate revenues through the sale of weather information.
- The SAWS’s strategy/policy in executing its public good requirement to provide weather information for the safety of life and property through the media strategy in place and through formal relationships with disaster management entities across the country.
- The SAWS’s strategy/policy to include products of a specialized nature in subscription offers where individuals can gain access to weather radar imagery. Originally at a cost of … “you speak of for as little as R300.00 per annum”…. but reduced recently to R180.00 per month.
- Resolution 40 from the 12 th Congress of the World Meteorological Organization.
- The SAWS Act that lists the pursuit of commercial revenues as an objective of the SAWS.
- That the SAWS engaged the services of Weather Intelligence Systems to reduce the tax burden the SAWS places on government.
- Both letters received (11 and 23 August 2010) from Weather Intelligence Systems relating to the availability of free static weather radar images and their view in this regard.
The SAWDOS on many occasions in the past and present expressed it's concern and disappointment with the decision of the SA Weather Service to withdraw the availability of free static and detailed weather radar images to the general public. The SAWDOS is feeling so strongly about the fact that free detailed weather radar images must be available to the general public that it used several media platforms to express it's concern. Readers of the SAWDOS blog also responded and voiced their concern and dismay via email messages, while others commented via the media and social media.
As a result the then SAWDIS (Now SAWDOS) received a letter from Weather Intelligence Systems a firm that the SA Weather Service engaged to create and maintain the SAWS web-site. A letter was received from Weather Intelligence Systems on the 11 August 2010 and several other letters were send to and fro discussing several pertinent matters. It was clear from the onset that the outcome of the engagement would not result in free detailed weather radar images being made available to the general public of South Africa. In a letter dated 6 September 2010 received from Weather Intelligence Systems this was confirmed and I quote:
"In regards to your stated requirement that free detailed radar images be made available to your organization, we are executing a board and shareholder approved strategy to generate revenues on behalf of the South African Weather Service through the sale of information. To this end, products of a specialized nature have been included in subscription offers. Individuals can gain access to the radar imagery you speak of for as little as R300.00 per annum.
As noted in our correspondence with you, the South African Weather Service is executing its public good requirement to provide weather information for the safety of life and property through the media strategy in place and through formal relationships with disaster management entities across the country. Other persons and organizations with an interest in weather are welcome to subscribe to any of the products and services offered through the website."
It is clear from the above that at that time you did not reconsider your decision pertaining to the availability of free detailed weather radar images to the public, but would prefer to continue with generating commercial revenues from parties and the general public that gain access to weather information.
Up to April 2010 free detailed SA Weather Radar Images were freely available and extensively used by the general public. There can be no finer reward than to know that the public's efforts have given communities the precious gift of time, that helped to alert them against severe thunderstorms approaching their area. At that stage the only real time warning system in South Africa by the public for the public.
By not making detailed weather radar information freely available to the general public the nations first line of defense against severe weather and the precious gift of time was destroyed by the decision of the SAWS. This has surely put more lives at risk as a result of the pursuit of commercial revenues in trying to reduce the tax burden as an objective. No life of any individual must ever be put at risk by any weather service in pursuing commercial revenues or trying to reduce a countries tax burden.
Research by the SAWDOS confirmed that all major countries in the world provide detailed weather radar images to their citizens free or charge. South Africa is now the only country in Africa if not the World that does not provide free radar images to it’s citizens.
The SAWDOS asked it's readers to comment on your decision. The SAWDOS received many concerned emails and even outraged comments from our readers in this regard. Every single email/comment received expressed disbelief that such and important system is no longer available to the man in the street. The reason given by the SAWS that weather radar is a tool used only by their forecasting team is not correct and misleading. A survey will prove that many members of the public did use weather radar images to monitor severe and damaging thunderstorms for intensity, size and storm track on a daily basis during the stormy season in the past. Only a few privileged enough can now afford your subscription rates, while the not so privileged has to fend for themselves when severe weather threatens.
The SAWS should not under estimate the intelligence and knowledge of the general public when it comes to analyzing weather radar images. Since the inception of the SAWDIS in October 2008, the SAWDIS were involved in educating weather observers and the public throughout the country. This also included providing information on how to analyze weather radar images and information. Information was however mutually exchanged between the SAWDIS and the general public up to a point were weather observers and the public were able to feed the SAWDIS with severe weather analysis using free radar images and real time weather observations. Many other non profitable organizations and schools formed part of this educational drive. In many instances learners were able to compile school related tasks about weather observation using SAWS Weather Radar Images and the SAWDIS Blog as references.
The decision by the SAWS to go the subscription route has left the general public in the dark and more vulnerable to severe weather and storms. Not only this but the educational impact will definitely be felt by every citizen and scholar in this country.
The SAWDOS still maintain that the SAWS has an obligation under the constitution of this country to make all weather information available free of charge to members of the public to keep them informed about impeding severe weather and storms. The current animated radar images and static storm map displayed on your web-site is inaccurate and respectfully serve no other purpose than to indicate that there is storm activity in a specific province. The SAWDOS has studied your maps against real time storm observations and have come to the conclusion that there is nearly a 30 – 45 minute time difference in storm locations. In other words the storm map and animated radar map serves no purpose to warn the public of impeding storms and severe weather. Weather and Weather Radar information should be free of charge to any member of the public, rich or poor. If you look at the USA, New Zealand and Australia you can get info from top to bottom free of charge. You can even get South African weather charts free from the USA. However here in South Africa we must PAY for lifesaving weather information.
The SAWDOS can go into great detail of how static detailed radar images can be used to inform the public of a severe storm approaching a specific town or area. However the SAWDIS blog contain several such real time examples and post storm analyses that illustrate the urgent need for free detailed radar images.
The decision to remove detailed static radar images from the public domain is totally contrarily to the fundamental objectives of weather organizations in most world countries where the aim is to provide the maximum amount of real-time accurate data to the widest range of their citizens free of charge. SAWS rather follow the commercial route instead and leave the public vulnerable to severe weather.
As far as limited access to certain general weather information is concerned one should ask whether the current limited information/data provided by your service is sufficient in protecting lives and property. The recent severe weather events in the past month indicated that the limited free weather information on your web-site is far from adequate to keep the public sufficiently informed. The comments section on your web-site is a good reflection of the current unhappiness of the public in this regard. (Noted that some complaints by the public were removed for some reason.)
The SAWDOS can take the layback approach and watch from the sideline but who suffers the most during severe weather? The poorest of the poor and that is one of the reasons why the SAWDIS was established in 2008. The SAWDOS will always have compassion for the poorest of the poor as the founder of the SAWDOS grew up amongst the poorest of the poor in the former Transkei area. This is the reason why the SAWDOS associate with several relief organizations to assist the general public when severe weather or a disaster cause havoc and destruction. References of such events are to be found on the SAWDIS and SAWDOS Blogs in abundance.
Being a non profitable and free community based organization and the fact that all weather data must be freely available to any member of the public, the SAWDOS and the majority of citizens in South Africa is not willing to pay for radar images or any other weather data. A solution to solve the current unhappiness by members of the public would be to make detailed static weather radar images and other weather data freely available to the general public as was the case before April 2010.
The SAWDOS and the public of South Africa would like to request the SA Weather Service to re-consider their decision in forcing the public to pay for weather radar information and other weather information and data. We respectfully request that fee detailed weather radar images and critical weather information and data be made available to the general public free of any charges.
Your kind consideration would be highly appreciated and the SAWDOS and public of South Africa is awaiting your decision in anticipation.
Regards
Johan Terblanche
Founder: SA Weather and Disaster Observation Service
Mossel Bay
Email: sawois05@gmail.com
Well done, i hope you get get a response.
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