CAGAYAN RIVER FLOOD FORECASTING AND WARNING CENTER

TOUR

I. INTRODUCTION

The Hydrology tour was held last March 5, 2019 at the PAGASA Cagayan
River Flood Forecasting and Warning Center located at Capitol Hills, Carig,
Tuguegarao City. It is a small compound surrounded with buildings, satellites and
weather instruments that monitors the daily weather in Cagayan and the water levels
of rivers and dams. The tour started in the flood forecasting and warning system
where Engr. Romeo Ganal, a meteorologist at PAGASA, presented various monitors
that shows hydrological forecasts during Non-Flood Watch, Philippine Standard Time
(PST) and other warning systems. He also showed the equipment donated by Japan in
the 1960s that monitors the water levels in dams and rivers throughout Cagayan. The
equipment, which is approximately one meter long, has been used by the station for
almost 30 years. The latter part of the tour was outside the building and was
conducted by the Chief Meteorological Officer, Mr. Anselmo Bolotaolo, who
discussed the different weather instruments that are used in the center.

II. WEATHER MONITORING SYSTEM

The center receives its information from the satellite Himawari-8 of Japan.
The Himawari-8 is a geo-stationary weather satellite, successor to Japan
Meteorological Agency's Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT) series. It was
installed at PAGASA last December 2015. It is the most utilized satellite imagery in
real time weather forecasting, tropical cyclone analysis and for research purposes as it
generates images every 10 minutes.

The station provides 24-hour public weather forecast issued twice daily, 4-day
extended weather outlook for selected cities, severe weather bulletins, hourly tropical
cyclone updates and shipping forecast, gale, rainfall, thunderstorm and storm surge
warnings. These forecasts can be found in their respective websites and Facebook
pages that can be accessed by the people.
III. WEATHER INSTRUMENTS
The PAGASA compound is surrounded by various weather instruments that
can be manually read by weathermen or automatically uploaded to the main system.
Some instruments that are found in the area are the following:

1. Thermometer

A thermometer measures the degree of hotness or coldness of a given

substance. The thermometers used by the station are contained in a small housing
directed away from the sun to avoid miscalculations of the dry bulb and wet bulb
temperatures due to direct heat. The Dry Bulb Temperature refers to the ambient air
temperature. It is called "Dry Bulb" because the air temperature is indicated by a
thermometer not affected by the moisture of the air. The Wet Bulb temperature is the
adiabatic saturation temperature. The bulb of the thermometer used in measuring the
wet bulb temperature is wrapped in wet muslin. The adiabatic evaporation of water
from the thermometer bulb and the cooling effect is indicated by a "wet bulb
temperature" lower than the "dry bulb temperature" in the air.

2. 8-inch Rain Gauge

An 8-inch rain gauge, so called because the inside diameter of the collector is exactly
8 inches above a funnel that conducts rain into a cylindrical measuring tube or
receiver. The volume of the collector is 10 times the volume of the measuring tube.
Therefore the actual depth of rainfall is increased ten times on being collected in the
smaller measuring tube.

The weatherman uses a measuring stick to determine the amount of rainfall

accumulated in the measuring tube. The measuring tube has a capacity of 2 inches on
flat level ground. Rainfall exceeding this amount spills into the overflow can but can
be easily measured by pouring it into the measuring tube for total rainfall.

3. Ceiling Balloon
The station’s way of determining the height of the cloud base is by using
ceiling balloons. A ceiling balloon is a meteorological balloon whose rate of ascent
has been predetermined. It is filled with gas lighter than air, usually hydrogen, and
 released. The time of release and the time the balloon disappears into the cloud are
recorded. The time difference multiplied by the rate of ascent will give the height of
the cloud base. The balloon is released twice a day: in the morning and at night. This
method is simultaneously used throughout the world to have precise measurements of
different locations.

4. Sunshine Recorder

The station uses a sunshine recorder to record the amount of sunlight that the
location receives throughout the day. This meteorological instrument looks like a
crystal ball placed in an elevated post where it is exposed to the sun. Inside the
recorder's adjustable frame are two important pieces: a paper strip, and a glass sphere
that can focus the sunlight strongly enough to singe the paper.

5. Aerovane

The Aerovane, also known as a Propeller Anemometer and a Windmill

Anemometer, is used to determine both wind speed and wind direction.
Today, aerovanes often combine the duties of anemometers and weather vanes.
Although more advanced instruments are used today to measure wind speed and
direction, the Tuguegarao PAGASA branch still uses this basic instrument.

6. Pyranometer

Located just behind the sunshine recorder in the station is the pyranometer.
A pyranometer is a sensor that converts the global solar radiation it receives into an
electrical signal that can be measured. Pyranometers measure a portion of the solar
spectrum.
REFERENCES

https://www1.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/station-profile-nl

https://www.campbellsci.com/blog/pyranometers-need-to-know

http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/products-and-services

http://weathergaines.blogspot.com/

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/dry-wet-bulb-dew-point-air-d_682.html

https://www1.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/54-northern-luzon#tuguegarao
 REPORT IN HYDROLOGY

CAGAYAN RIVER FLOOD FORECASTING AND

WARNING CENTER TOUR
MARCH 5, 2019

SUBMITTED BY:
RIO JAY R. BANAN

SUBMITTED TO:
ENGR. POLICARPIO MABBORANG

MARCH 11, 2019