Utanian Press Agency, Release 5 January 301 AP

UPA (Utanian Press Agency)
Release: January 5, 301 AP.

President forms HuMOC

By executive order, President Okarvits of Utania has officially ordered the formation of the Hurricane and Meteorological Observation Centre (HuMOC) under the Department of the President.

Bringing together four separate organisations with a 30 million pund budget (C10m), the President is forming a national unit to watch for "extreme weather patterns that may result in the loss of life or property for which there can be preparation to minimise the damaging effects."

The four organisations, the University of Luka (UoL) Department of Meteorology Cyclone Watch, Nystonia Hurricane Centre, the federal Bureau of Meteorology Extreme Weather Unit, and the Utanian-based remnants of the Guwimith Dependencies Weather Watch Unit (GDWWU), have come together from diverse backgrounds, from university-sponsored units, to former departments of the Guwimith Dependencies Authority. The idea was sponsored by Professor William Tompkin of UoL and Director John Kolinsky of the former-GDWWU, pressing the idea repeatedly with the President and numerous government and non-government MPs.

"It is essential that we have a coordinated approach", said Professor Tompkin, adding that the funding would also contribuite significantly toward "saving lives". Parliament is expected to pass the Executive Order without comment, as all parties are in favour of the unit being formed.

HuMOC will have one main coordination building based in Vela Luka, and several monitoring stations distributed throughout the country for weather monitoring. Plans exist for HuMOC to work with other SEOC nations to establish a regional moniotoring network, even employing infra-red satellite technology to the cause. HuMOC is expected to employ up to 100 staff, mostly meteorological analysts. Tompkin and Kolinsky have been named working-Directors of the Centre, and Kolinsky has stated he will be visiting Guwimith to establish a joint monitoring feed between the two countries.

Utania's hurricane season is in the later summer months, February and March, but hurricanes have been known to form as early as December or as late as April. They have cost thousands of lives since recording began earlier in the 3rd century. A "moderately harsh" season is expected this year.