Published on 05-Nov-09

Nov. 5, 2009 -- The BVI Airports Authority on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands will be hosting the 49th session of the Caribbean Meteorological Council (CMC) and its associated meetings on Tortola from November 5-10.

Three meetings

According to Managing Director, BVI Airports Authority, Mr. Denniston Fraser, there will be a total of three meetings. The Board of Governors of the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) meeting will be held on November 5 and 6. At this meeting, institute matters relating to training and projects will be discussed.

On November 7, there will be the meeting of Directors of Meteorological Services which will be chaired by the Coordinating Director of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization, Mr. Tyrone Sutherland. The Caribbean Meteorological Council will convene their meeting on November 9 and will conclude on the 10. This is a meeting of all the ministers responsible for meteorology throughout the region.

Minister for Communications and Works, Hon. Julian Fraser RA, who has the responsibility for meteorology in the BVI, will be the featured speaker at the opening ceremony of the CMC which is scheduled for November 9 at 8:30 a.m.

All meetings will be held at the Fellowship Hall, New Testament Church of God International Worship Centre, Baugher’s Bay.

The sessions will attract Government officials and meteorologists from throughout the Caribbean. These meetings are usually rotated around the Caribbean region yearly for discussions on important topics concerning meteorology. The last meeting in the BVI was held in 1983.

The Caribbean Meteorological Organization originated from the old British Caribbean Meteorological Service, which was established in 1951. This service became the Caribbean Meteorological Service in 1962, under a formal agreement among states following the dissolution of the Federation of the West Indies.

The Caribbean Meteorological Organization provides support and advice to governments in the development of their meteorological and hydro-meteorological services and in dealing with issues of an international nature affecting weather, water and climate. It also represents the regional meteorological community's interests in relation to international civil aviation matters. The CMO works closely with regional agencies involved in disaster preparedness, response and relief.

The British Virgin Islands Airport Authority is currently pursuing the establishment of a full-time meteorological/aeronautical information service office, which when operational will be staffed with meteorologists and a forecaster who will provide, among other things, timely meteorological and aeronautical information to all incoming and outgoing aircrafts.