You read it right. You can now look up technical weather terms. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA has launched its first ever weather dictionary “Patnubay sa Weder Forkasting” (Guide in Weather Forecasting).
“Patnubay sa Weder Forkasting” is PAGASA’s weather dictionary that simplifies
weather jargon into simple words in Filipino and other local dialects.
So, if you cannot comprehend the terms or jargon that you hear or read in weather forecasts, PAGASA’s dictionary will simplify it for you. It will even translate it in a number of local dialects. Storm surge and monsoon translated in Filipino are thus, “daluyong bagyo at pana-panahong hangin.” Besides Filipino, the “Patnubay sa Weder Forkasting” contains terms that are taken from other languages and local dialects such as Ilokano and Bikolano.
It is an initiative between the technical experts of PAGASA and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (Commission on the Filipino Language), led by no less than the country’s National Artist for Literature Mr. Virgilio S. Almario. Their aim is to strengthen the campaign for a simplified forecast so that the public can understand the warnings about the weather condition.
To complete the package, the country’s weather bureau also introduced the upgraded version of the PAGASA Mobile Apps, which contains vital weather information and flood warnings. The app can be downloaded from the Google Play store and installed using an Android phone. Because the weather is fickle and changes constantly, the public can easily track hourly, daily or weekly forecast in their city, flood warnings, rainfall warning and even status of dams through the app. It is also integrated in social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Now, even weather forecasting, is more fun in the Philippines!
PAGASA has also released the names of typhoons for this 2016.
Seven to 17 tropical cyclones are expected to hit the Philippines from May to October this year.
