“Weather Radar Will Be Operational Next Week”
“The weather radar will be operational next week having been completed on-time and under-budget,” Minister of Tourism and Transport Zane DeSilva said in the House of Assembly today [July 12].
The Minister said, “The project to replace and upgrade the complex weather radar system commenced in April 2018 and has taken approximately fifteen months, at a cost of $2.01 million versus the budgeted capital cost of $2.04 million.”
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Mr. Speaker, the House will be aware that in this year’s Budget Brief for the Ministry of Tourism and Transport I reported that a major capital expenditure for the Bermuda Airport Authority was the delivery of a new Doppler Weather Radar System for the Island. I am pleased to report the weather radar will be operational next week having been completed on-time and under-budget.
Mr. Speaker, I remind the House that the Airport Authority was formed in March 2017 to oversee the performance of Skyport and to directly manage air navigation services, including the Bermuda Weather Service. Shortly after being formed, the Authority team assessed its mission-critical assets, revealing the need to replace the existing weather radar system which had reached the end of its useful life and was experiencing reliability issues.
Mr. Speaker, the project to replace and upgrade the complex weather radar system commenced in April 2018 and has taken approximately fifteen months, at a cost of $2.01 million versus the budgeted capital cost of $2.04 million. The various system components were manufactured by German company Leonardo ES and installed at the Cooper’s Island site with the assistance of local maintenance technicians. Bermudian technicians and Weather Service staff also received training in the use and maintenance of the advanced system technology. Together with a planned lifecycle maintenance programme, this training will help ensure an expected 95% system reliability over the life of the system.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge the Authority’s Board, Management, and Staff for their effective management of this major capital project and the delivery of Bermuda’s new weather radar system in time for the peak of the 2019 storm season.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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