Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - In a recent report by Maximiliam Greig, Centro Universitario de la Costa (CUC), and Marco Antonio Cortés, University of Guadalajara (UdeG), it was revealed that a Doppler weather radar system has been installed in Puerto Vallarta.

A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that makes use of the doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by beaming a microwave signal towards a desired target and listening for its reflection, then analyzing how the frequency of the returned signal has been altered by the object's motion. This variation gives direct and highly accurate measurements of the radial component of a target's velocity relative to the radar. Doppler radars are used in aviation, sounding satellites, meteorology, police speed guns, and radiology.

The most important function of the new storm warning system will be the ability to alert the population of upcoming storms and emergency situations.

Puerto Vallarta's Doppler weather radar is now the only device of its kind operating in the country. It has the ability to not only alert the population of the state of Jalisco, but also neighboring states. The cost of the system was $15 million pesos.

The University authorities noted that with their collaboration with the Government of the State, this system will help to prevent disasters and save lives by obtaining early knowledge of storms.

The "rainy season" in Puerto Vallarta is expected to start on June 11 this year and it is predicted that the storms will continue for at least three months and that the storms will have greater intensity than in the past years.

Trinidad Lopez Rivas, of the State Civil Protection agency, announced that they will be performing drills, such as the one completed on April 9 in Puerto Vallarta, for the purpose of further preparing the population for any weather phenomenons. The second drill was conducted on April 12 in commemoration of State Civil Protection Day.

With climate changes and global warming, this high-level technology was needed as an alert when a severe storm is in the area. "We cannot deflect a storm, but now we will know in advance where the highest impacts will occur, thus obtaining the goal of saving lives."

It should be mentioned that after a period of bickering, the State Government supported the University of Guadalajara which, through the University Center of Exact Sciences and Engineering, acquired the radar, installed it and will operate it in the Institute of Astronomy and Meteorology (IAM).

Meteorologist Gustavo Salgado explained that this radar has a range of 450 km, which includes areas adjacent to Jalisco in the neighboring states such as Michoacan, Colima, Nayarit, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Guanajuato.

Translated by Oliver Hermann