Meteorological Station Network
1. Introduction
Meteorological data collection in Malawi dates way back to
the early 1890s when the country became a British
Protectorate. Data then were recorded by administrators at
the BOMAs, missionaries, farmers and a few interested
individuals. Thus the station network then merely reflected
the logistics of the recorders or owners of the stations
rather than technical aspects. A good number of stations
were sited along the Shire River and a concentration existed
over the Shire Highlands in the tea estates.
Records at these stations were taken once or twice a day but
at no-fixed hours. Observers were mostly untrained
volunteers and as such stations did not operate
consistently. For example, of the 102 stations which
operated in the 1930s and 1940, only a handful were still
operating by the mid 1940s, most of them only recording
rainfall.
The building of a systematic network of stations under a
meteorological authority begun in the mid 1940s. It was the
need for aviation weather services that prompted the opening
of the first few stations but soon other needs came in.
Since then the logistics for sitting a station have changed
and several technical aspects are considered. Apart from
trying to build a homogeneous network, the Meteorological
Department considers the opening of new stations for
specified user parties. During the past few years stations
have been opened to cater for the needs of development
projects in agriculture, forestry, water resources,
fisheries, wildlife, education, etc.
2. Present Network
The present network of meteorological stations comprises 22
full meteorological stations, 21 subsidiary
agrometeorological stations, strategically located in the
eight ADDs, and over 400 rainfall stations.
The types of data recorded at these station are as follows:
|
STATION |
NUMBER S |
|
Rainfall |
761 |
|
Air temperature |
81 |
|
Atmospheric pressure |
13 |
|
Upper winds |
7 |
|
Upper Air |
1 |
|
Wind at 3 metres |
39 |
|
Wind at 10 metres |
5 |
|
Weather (clouds, visibility etc) |
25 |
|
Sunshine duration |
30 |
|
Global Solar radiation |
9 |
|
Diffuse Solar Radiation |
3 (1987) |
|
Evaporation |
28 |
|
Soil temperature |
10 |
|
Soil Moisture |
5 |
|
Phenological Observations |
5 |
|
Seismic data |
2 | |
Main Meteorological Stations
 |
|
Of the 761 rainfall stations,
328 stations have less than 10 years of data
206 stations have
less than 10 years of data
99 stations have less than 20 years
of data
64 stations have less than 30 years of data
26
stations have less than 40 years of data
16 stations have less
than 50 years of data
9 stations have less than 60 years of data
11 stations have less than 70 years of data
2 stations have less
than 80 years of data
|
|
Subsidiary Stations |
1) Chelinda
2) Kaperekezi
3) Vinthukutu Agric
4) Ntchena-chena Agric
5) Lunyangwa Agric
6) Mzuzu University
7) Chikangawa
8) Emfeni Agric
9) Dwangwa
10) Lifuwu Agric
11) Chitala Agric
|
12) Ntchisi Agric
13) Natural Resources College
14) Neno Agric
15) Chancellor College
16) Mikonga
17) Chipale
18) Alumenda
19) Kasinthula Agric
20) Nchalo
21) Nsanje Agric |
|
3. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES AND STATUS OF DATA
At the 22 full meteorological stations, observations are done
regularly at 0500, 0600, 0800, 0900, 1100, 1400 and 1700 local
times. The minimum number of observations per station is two at
one-man stations and only on Saturdays and Sundays. Currently, two
stations are doing observations 24 hours a day.
Observations at these stations are done by fully trained
Meteorological Assistants who initially undergo a six month training
course.
|
