The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service (ABMS) marked World Statistics Day on Monday by underscoring the role of high-quality, continuous weather observations in saving lives and guiding policy, and by calling for sustained investment across the “data value chain.”
In a statement noting this year’s theme — “Driving Change with Quality Statistics and Data for Everyone” — ABMS Director Dale C. S. Destin said the climate is understood through statistics derived from relentless measurement. ABMS instruments sample temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind and pressure every two seconds, building long records that power forecast models, AI tools and climate detection and attribution.
ABMS cited Tropical Storm Jerry as a recent example of why long datasets matter. The one-day rainfall at V.C. Bird International Airport reached 190.4 millimeters (7.5 inches), an exceedingly rare October total that ABMS classifies as roughly a once-in-77-years event based on decades of local records. Without those archives, the rarity — and thus the risk context — would be unclear.
The agency urged upgrades and upkeep for stations and databases alike, emphasizing secure storage, calibration, resilience to climate stresses and wider accessibility for researchers and decision-makers at home and abroad. It said such investments strengthen early warnings, improve forecast reliability and bolster credible climate services.
ABMS linked its statistical work to global frameworks, pointing to contributions toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals — notably Climate Action (SDG 13) and Partnerships (SDG 17) — and to initiatives including the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework and the U.N.’s Early Warning for All program.
Destin, who also serves as Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organization and focal point to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that with continued collaboration and funding, quality data can drive science, policy and innovations that protect lives and livelihoods across the twin-island nation.
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