It’s a complicated process

Dear Editor,

Predicting the weather can be a tricky job, even with all the satellite images and modelling software available. 

Take TC Amos at the weekend. The Samoa Met office tracked Amos on the port side of the islands, while Fiji et office tracked Amos on the starboard side. Expected landfall also had the Samoa Met office 12 hours behind the Fiji Met office. 

As a member of the public depending on these warnings to keep safe they matter a lot, I took the advice of our local weather office and prepared for Amos from the northwest, and landfall by midmorning Sunday. 

TC Amos was elevated to Cat 3 at 7pm Saturday, the winds came in about 10 pm (Apia area)  and from an easterly direction. 

Instead of securing a couple of 8-blade windows on the northwest side of house, I now have a sliding door and 10 blade windows to secure on the east side of house, in the middle of night. 

The 2am Sunday morning special weather Bulletin elevated Amos to Cat 4 but by then it was so still without a whisper of wind. 

The Radio 2AP/540AM open lines with callers reporting from different parts of the island gave a better idea of where TC Amos was coming from and the wind strengths. 

While predicting the weather is an "inexact science", lets just thank the Divine for answered prayers and unmerited concern in making Amos to be a weak CAT 4 tropical cyclone.

 

I.N.L


Samoa Observer

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