HERMOSA, Bataan- The Doppler radar of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration at the peak of a mountain here was placed under preventive shut down for at least seven hours on Tuesday after a lightning surge was suspected of affecting the radar’s unlimited power supply (UPS) apparatus.
The radar was turned off from 7 a.m. to before 3 p.m. At exactly 3 p.m., the radar was operational again, said the technician at the Doppler radar station at Mount Sta. Rita in Pastulan Village, Barangay Tipo, Hermosa.
Henri A. Hermenegildo, weather facilities technician at the Subic Bay Radar Station, said he had to turn off the radar to secure and protect the equipment after he heard that the UPS sounded an alarm.
“Maaaring na-apektuhan ng kidlat ang UPS kaya nag-alarm at nang sukatin ko ang boltahe ay discharged ito kaya hindi na makapagbigay ng sapat na power load or voltage,” the technician said.
The UPS serves as safety feature for the radar and sounds an alarm to call attention when there is a problem. He said that other equipment were in good order.
He said that he heard a loud sound when lightning struck after the thunderstorms at about 6:30 -7:00 in the morning.
“Matapos kumidlat, nakarinig ako ng malakas na pagkakatama nito, malakas na tunog sa vicinity ng radar pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang tinamaan,” Hermenegildo recalled.
The technician said that after inspecting all the equipment, he immediately reported his findings to the engineering department in the main office of Pagasa. The engineering people found out that the UPS was really affected, he said.
“Nakita nila na hind na dumadaan ang commercial power sa UPS na nag-reregulate ng sapat na boltahe na kailangan ng radar,” Hermenegildo said of the outcome of the inspection of the engineering people.
He said that Pagasa has contacted the supplier of the UPS which is still under warranty to repair or change it. While still not repaired or replaced, generators temporarily supply electric power to the radar.
Hermenegildo said that the Doppler radar is a big help to Pagasa in detecting cloudiness, the volume of rainfall, direction of the wind and the area to be affected by heavy rainfall.
“Ang kagandahan ng radar na ito, kung ano ang image o findings nito ay sabay na makikita sa forecasting sa Pagasa main,” he said.
The Doppler radar became operational but still under observation on November 2010.
It operates 24 hours a day to support Pagasa’s weather forecasting. It covers a maximum diameter of 480 kilometers from Aparri to Aklan except mountain ranges higher in elevation than Mount Sta. Rita.
The third floor of the former radar station of the then United States Naval Base serves as radar control room or radar work station of technicians of Pagasa.
