There is a lack of modern meteorological equipment throughout Pakistan, including Karachi. There is no international standard observation network for rainfall forecast said Chief Meteorologist Karachi Sardar Sarfraz.
According to Sarfraz there are only 110 weather stations in the country covering 0.8 million square kilometres. However, as per international standards, there should be a weather station in every 30 to 50 kilometres area.
He further said that only two Doppler weather stations are installed in the country one in Karachi and the other in Islamabad.
On the bright side, Sarfraz said, there is a plan to increase the number of weather stations in the country to 400 in collaboration with the World Bank. A project with JICA Japan is also in the pipeline. The installation of new weather stations will be started in two months.
Currently, data is collected from across the country through manual procedures and plotted in the form of maps.
Pakistan Meteorological Department's short-term rainfall forecast is accurate up to 90%, he claimed adding, automated weather stations are needed for long-term forecast.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2023.
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