I had hoped that with this new web site that you would have been able to include our own radar imagery from the Castle Grant site.

How is it Trinidad and Guyana can come an pass us out in the field. Guyana's radar project even had a serious setback in starting to build on the wrong site and still got through and commissioned it before Barbados.

What gives?

Dear Sir,

Please note that the up-dated link does include Barbados.

We were previously experiencing some technical difficulties in setting up the link with the other radars in the eastern Caribbean.

When you click on the link, you get a sign-in window with the message:
A username and password are being requested by http://www.meteo.gp. The site says: "acces Restreint"[sic]

According to the initial agreement Meteo France was suppose to coordinate the consolidation/composites of all these radar imagery, but while all the other Governments - who have little risk of Tropical Storms or Hurricanes (except Belize) - have gone ahead and done their own thing and posted their radar imagery/data on their own web sites, yet we are still waiting on the French, who have had their radar for their islands in place for years now, so no rush there for us (English).

And yes, Ms. Nurse, the Professor is correct the links are user name/password protected - why am I not surprised - in fact, you may be surprised to know how many Bajans are out here waiting patiently for this new Radar data and are wondering the same thoughts I said earlier up, and more importantly this 'delay' has not helped the Barbados Meteorological Office's PR Status and confidence level in Barbados.

Since I run my own weather web site for over 10 years now and have my own equipment for satellite imagery, lightning detection, etc., and knowing the weather forecasting is not an exact science, I have tried to defend the Met. Office over the years but even this has pushed me in the pessimistic circle.

The general consensus is that we will get flattened before the Radar is ready - in fact, this may well be the year when it is needed the most.

Good Luck.

Dear Sirs, Re-Radar Imagery-BARBADOS
We are anxious to obtain radar Imagery for Barbados and surrounding areas.This is vital for Aviation Safety particularly in this Hurricane Season and would like to know how we can obtain the username and password inorder to access this site?
Regards David Devaux

Reply:
Dear Sir/Madam

There is no direct link to Barbados' radar at present. However you may use the following link to acces the Martinique Radar:

http://www.meteo.fr/temps/domtom/antilles/pack-public/animation/animMOSAIC2.html

Regards
S.Nurse

Why is it that we cannot access the doppler information from our own system here in Barbados, was this not part of the agreement to get the funds for the system?

I have been waiting for the doppler radar to come on line so that it can been seen by the general public. What could possibly be taking so long? With Bardados as the most Easterly of the Caribbean islands I would have thought that we would have been the first to be up and running for all to see!!!!

It would really be nice to have our Radar online at this time ... it is almost inconceivable that the other countries could get the weather (& radar) on the internet and we, the (once) pride of telecommunications infrastructure and the meteorological authority for not only us (Barbados) but the other Windward islands as well, cannot do so in 2010.

Is it help that's needed ... all you need to do is ask.

Mr. Lovell, et al., if you do happen to check this site out, please tell what part of this radar animation from Martinique (and from they way they presented it, seemed to say, 'see, we caught it but no one else did and we could only do so much from where we are') that even my 9 year old could not see a rotating cyclone?

http://www.meteo.fr/temps/domtom/antilles/pack-public/alaune/Animation_radar_TT_Tomas_1.gif

i ve been involved with weather in caribbean for some decades. To sum it up Barbados doesnt hve the drive to move forward. . What about the calibration of instruments for the countries that fall under the umbrella of CIMH. Guess what zero accomplishments. all these Regional directors meeting is a show, self gratification of hotel stays, talk etc These directors do not hve the will to see the full fillment of the contract with meteo france in terms of the hving a composite radar image. They will blame CMO but that is the name of the game. No research, only reproducing papers by chg figures, and that is the problem with our met. personell.

'New' Doppler Radar - donated by the EU - nearly 3 years in operation since late 2008 with the 3-year warranty purchased nearly expired - duration on the internet (for the public) < 3 months (late Dec 2010 to early March 2011) ... still out of commission for 5+ months.

Rawinsonde (Weather Balloon) Ground Equipments failure since late April 2011, still not back on line to provide usefully data in the region for research, numerical model forecasting and aviation data ... 3+ months.

Active Web sit for Barbados Meteorological information only link to other sites that take and provide the data to the public.

2011 Hurricane Season ... 2+ months in action ... and the above does not seem to be a priority ... technician to fix Radar only arrived early August 2011.

One would have to agree with Tulum Dindial above ... there can be no other explanation, unless there are no funds available, which has been denied by the Met Office Director, or a sad combination of both aspects.