Weather Services
National Meteorological Service
The National Meteorological Service of the Cayman Islands, under the administration of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority, is responsible for monitoring meteorological events and provision of meteorological information. The unit also plays a key role in Cayman's hurricane preparedness and mitigation efforts. The weather service operates from the General Aviation Terminal at the Owen Roberts International Airport.
Staffing and operations
The service’s operation includes a Rawinsonde Station, Surface Weather Observations, Climatology, Forecasting and Aviation weather briefing. The service began 2008 with a staff of eleven officers; one trainee, two fully trained entry-level technicians (Observers), four mid level technicians (Climatologists and instrument specialist), three-senior technicians (Forecasters), a Chief Meteorologist and the Senior Manager of Meteorological Services. The staff currently operates a service for 17 hours daily with a 24-hour service envisaged for the future. Additionally, a team currently consisting of two entry level technicians takes hourly weather observations at the Gerrard Smith International Airport between 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. It is planned for two more officers will be added and trained later this year. The National Meteorological Service of the Cayman Islands operates under the leadership of the head of Meteorological Services, Mr. Fred Sambula.
The service Rawinsonde Station located at the Owen Roberts International Airport was formerly run by the USA and but is now administered by the local Cayman Islands Airports Authority. This station enables the measurement of wind, temperature and humidity in the upper atmosphere.
Via satellite and other telecommunications circuits, weather data is collected in pictorial, alphanumeric and digital form. Information and charts are analyzed by forecasters and used for local and international aviation needs, and in the preparation of marine and public weather forecasts. Meteorological and climatological information is also used in other sectors and areas of endeavor, such as education, research, construction and tourism.
Additional data is sorted and displayed for use by pilots and the public in general. Climatological records, based on hourly observation reports, are transmitted to the regional centre in Washington, D.C. and on to the rest of the world. These records provide the aviation and international meteorological community with current, historical information on weather conditions at local airports.
Official Agency for Local Weather Forecasting
On June 1997, the local weather service became the official agency responsible for issuing hurricane and severe weather warnings for the Cayman Islands, a task formerly performed by the Jamaican National Meteorological Service. The local weather service bases its bulletins on data received from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami is part of the World Area Forecast System. Cayman became a part of this system in December 1997, when an international satellite communication system was installed at the local Meteorological Service.
This system allows the continuous reception of raw digital data for the creation of weather charts, facsimile weather charts, computer models and other text data from the World Area Forecast Center in Washington, D.C. Continuous reception of this type of information greatly enhances weather forecasters' ability to issue better forecasts and warnings for public and private use, as well as for the protection of life and property.
Your best Source of Local Weather Information
As the National Weather Service in the Cayman Islands is able to give more precise details on local impacts at the Warning Phase of a hurricane threat and subsequently, it is your best source of information. The local Met Service is a publicly funded service and does not depend on advertising sales linked to audience ratings. There is therefore no need or temptation to heighten the drama of the weather, as may occur in some instances with commercial weather forecasters. The Cayman Islands National Meteorological Service is the agency that updates all weather information on this site.
Last Updated: 2008-08-12