World meteorological day: do you check weather forecast daily?
By Stephen TADAHA.
The Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe has called on Cameroonians to make sure they know what the weather forecasts through information made available by the Ministry of Transport and broadcast on local media to avoid being victims of natural disasters.
He made the call in a release on Tuesday March 21st on the sidelines of the 63rd edition of World Meteorological Day that is being observed this March 23rd under the theme, ‘The Future of Weather, Climate and Water across Generations’.
This year’s theme highlights the importance of weather, climate and water resources management for the well-being of the local population.
In the West Region as elsewhere in Cameroon, weather plays a very important role in the daily life of the population, especially farmers because it determines when, where and how to plant.
Most of them we met told us they hardly follow weather forecast for it hardly gives them the exact predictions. Many farmers thus believe it is a waste of ther time. Most of them say they look at the sky sometimes to know if the day will be a rainy one or not.
“To me following weather forecast is just a waste of time. Those things are big lies. As a farmer I get up every morning and look at the sky. If it will be a rainy day, I will know. Even when it rains it doesn’t affect me so much. When it rains on me in my farm I take a shelter. So I hardly miss farm work because of rain. So to me weather forecasts are not that reliable,” Tom who is a farmer tells us.
If many neglect weather forecasts, others confirm its importance on their daily activities.
“I sometimes follow weather forecast on the internet. I must say on many occasions it gives me exact predictions on the rain or sun. It is very important to me because I do gardening for a living,” Joseph tells us.
This day also commemorates the coming into force of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on 23 March 1950.
World Meteorological Day showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and wellbeing of society.
