🌩️ Key weather radar out of service during peak storm season

The Kearney Gomez Doppler Radar, a critical piece of weather monitoring equipment, is currently out of service due to mechanical issues. This comes at an inconvenient time as the Atlantic storm season is at its peak. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service (CINWS) is working with the manufacturer to replace the damaged components, but could not provide a timeline for the repairs. The radar has been offline for over a week due to a damaged part that needs to be specially manufactured. 🌧️

The radar has a history of mechanical failures and has been frequently out of action. Jennifer Ahearn, the chief officer of the climate resiliency ministry, assured the community that the restoration of the radar is a priority. She also stated that the Weather Service has access to other tools and services that allow them to continue producing accurate forecasts, advisories, and warnings. However, she acknowledged the significant public interest in the radar service and promised to provide updates on the repair status. ⛈️

Despite the radar's downtime, CINWS Director General John Tibbetts assured the public that the weather service would continue to provide accurate and timely forecasts, advisories, and warnings. He apologized for any inconvenience caused by the service interruption and promised that the Weather Service would work diligently to have the radar operational as soon as possible. 🌀