In light of the increasing frequency of hazardous weather in recent years, Premier Lin Chuan today enjoined the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to continue improving weather monitoring and forecast accuracy, and to publicize meteorological service information for private-sector applications in order to enhance the efficacy of such data in disaster-prevention applications and warnings.
The premier gave these instructions after he was briefed by the CWB on measures to boost weather forecasts' accuracy and disaster-prevention applications in response to climate change.
The CWB has been proactively promoting weather information services in recent years, and has already garnered noticeable results in cross-agency disaster-prevention applications and collaboration, Lin stated. As rainfall, cold spells, heat waves, droughts and other weather phenomena have had major impacts on the lives of nationals as well as the economic development of industries such as farming, forestry, fishing and animal husbandry, Lin instructed the CWB to continue to enhance related information services and technological development.
Lin further pointed out that the plum rain season has arrived, and following on its heels is the typhoon and flood season. This year autumnal typhoons are likely to increase in number and greatly affect Taiwan. The premier directed relevant ministries and local governments to scrupulously consolidate flood-prevention measures and typhoon preparations, and to take inventory of disaster-prevention resources.
As for facilitating private-sector meteorological information services, Lin enjoined the CWB to conduct appropriate planning so as to give related industries room for development while preventing misuse or abuse of such information.
The MOTC stated that its weather monitoring and forecast improvements encompass deploying disaster-prevention and rainfall-detection radars, autonomous meteorological stations, offshore buoys and shore-based radars, as well as strengthening the analysis, utilization and management of radar and satellite data.
To improve horizontal collaboration on disaster prevention between response agencies, the MOTC will continue to advance its customized disaster-prevention website, improve cross-agency collaboration (which currently involves more than 50 government agencies), develop customized disaster-prevention applications of QPESUMS (Quantitative Precipitation Estimation and Segregation Using Multiple Sensors), link up disaster forecasts and warnings, integrate disaster prevention for multiplier effects, implement open data and set up big data meteorological services.