KNMI Visits Saba

On Monday, September 22, representatives of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) will be on Saba for a work visit.

The program includes a morning meeting with Island Governor Jonathan Johnson and an afternoon session with Island Secretary Bram Streppel as well as meetings with other stakeholders.

The visit is part of a working tour of the BES islands by KNMI’s Hoofddirecteur, Mr. Maarten van Aalst, who is visiting with the intention of learning more about Saba and to further strengthen collaboration. KNMI plays a key role in providing weather services to the BES islands, and the visit offers an opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss shared priorities and broader themes such as climate change and how the island can prepare for its effects.

Alongside this visit, KNMI’s Advisor-Inspector, Mr. Damian Napoles Soto, will be on Saba from September 19–24 to carry out the annual inspection of weather equipment. In addition to annual inspections, the Advisor-Inspector is aiming to start the installation of new weather stations as part of a pilot project to improve local weather monitoring. The equipment is designed to measure temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, and radiation levels for UV calculations. Once all intended stations are installed, Saba will have weather monitoring in different locations across the island, including the harbor, Public Works, Zion’s Hill, Mount Scenery, and Hotel Juliana.

The visit follows recent technical work at the airport on September 8 to improve KNMI services for Saba. It also coincides with the Calm Horizon training exercise of the Netherlands forces in the Caribbean, during which trails are being cleared to ensure safe access to KNMI’s installations.

PES