Friday, November 23, 2007 Seares: Bitching about the weather By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
PAG-ASA is being flogged for failing to report accurately and on time last Monday’s storm.
It did warn, two days earlier, about non-stop rains for three days and a low pressure area spotted over Surigao.
It was in the rapid shifts, from low-pressure to tropical depression to storm, that Pag-asa wasn’t quick enough. It said Lando would land as tropical depression between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. but it struck Cebu as a storm about 4:30 p.m.
Not precise or timely but let’s face it, we’re the kind of folks who feverishly prepare for disaster only when it’s beating at the door.
I’m not saying we ignore the huge lapse. But weather is so fickle that trackers surprise us when they can pin it down.
It used to be women’s turf. Ages ago, male chauvinists heaped mood swings only on “the fair sex”: thus the female names of typhoons then: Linda, never Lando.
“Maybe”
You must have heard a standup comic say modern equipment and methods haven’t perfected forecasting to an art but have enabled weather people to explain in detail why it erred.
Or read about these digs on weather workers:
--Afraid of your career being ruined by success? Join the weather bureau.
--Pag-asa is so unpredictable we never know how wrong it’s going to be.
--The son of a weather man answers his teacher: “Two plus two equals four, maybe.”
--In bar, a weather man pushes the jukebox button for “Blue Skies.” The song coming out: “Stormy Weather.”
Councilor Jack Jakosalem wants Cebu City to report the weather based on internet forecasts. Pag-asa people must be pleased. City Hall will be sharing the flak with them.
