SANCHESKA

DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Department of Meteorology’s Doppler Radar “came off its gears” during the passage of Hurricane Matthew on Thursday, Met Office Director, Trevor Basden, told The Tribune on Friday.

Mr Basden said that despite issues with the physical equipment, the electronic component of the radar remained intact.

“During the passage of Matthew, we  were encountering 125mph winds and that caused the radar to come off its gears,” he said. “But the electronic component of the radar remained intact and my team are presently replacing the gear. I have been advised by the engineers that it should be repaired in a day or so.

He also confirmed that Met officials were evacuated from the forecast office at the Nassau Development Office terminal B during the storm for “safety reasons”.

“The firetrucks came in and moved the staff, which we were very grateful for. So we were able to continue issuing the alert watches and warnings on Matthew. At present there is a clean up being done in the old terminal.

“Now I must also advise that we are to move into new accommodations that are being prepared but it is just that Matthew came in and caused a bit of disturbance and so I think in the next two weeks or so we should be occupying our new accommodations at the airport.”

The Met Office came under fire during the passage of Hurricane Joaquin last week, when it was revealed that department’s Doppler radar was not functioning for several hours during the passage of the hurricane.

The government repeatedly refuted the claims. Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin called the claims “erroneous”.

The radar provides details on rainfall intensity, thunderstorms, and tornadic activity including waterspouts effectively within a 150-mile range, Mrs Hanna Martin said.

Therefore, she said, the radar is best used by officials as a supplemental tool to satellite imagery, the lightning detection network and computer modelling from a variety of official international sources.