The part needed to get Cayman’s Kearney Gomez Doppler Radar operating again is expected to arrive later this month, according to National Weather Service Director General John Tibbetts.
“We are looking forward to installing the new part once it arrives, and restoring weather radar service as soon as possible,” Tibbetts said in a press release issued Tuesday night.
The part is on its way from the radar manufacturer in Germany, according to the release.
“Radar service went down in March 2023 following a hardware failure. Since that time, the Cayman Islands National Weather Service (CINWS) has been working closely with the radar manufacturer to isolate the fault and determine a timeline for repairs,” the release said.
Tibbetts, speaking on the 3 May episode of the Cayman Compass weekly talkshow ‘The Resh Hour’, said his team was working with the manufacturer to get the radar, located in High Rock, East End up and running again ahead of hurricane season, which officially starts 1 June.
The weather radar helps the National Weather Service monitor meteorological conditions as far away as Jamaica, and is helpful for providing small-scale predictions, the release said.
It added that for tracking storms further afield, the team uses the Cayman Islands government’s GOES-R satellite system.
“Although the Weather Service has access to other services and tools that enable our team to provide accurate forecasts, we know the radar service is important to many people in our community and we will continue to make every effort to get it back up and running again,” Tibbetts said.
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