Transcript
The Vanuatu Meteorological Service says its new cyclone map will help people understand cyclones better and help them get ready.
The new tracking maps use numbers and the alphabet instead of latitude and longitude, and includes drawings of the potential impact of the cyclones.
The Service's William Worwor explained to Lucy Smith how the maps could make a difference.
Basically to simplify latitude and longitudes with respect to the islands. Whenever there is a cyclone, we locate the cyclone and we make it a little more simpler. You just refer to the co-ordinate as a letter and number, instead of having a full longitude.
What's the difference between these maps and the ones you had previously?
The difference at the moment is now we have included the impact classifications, or the land conditions and the sea conditions as well. We have included the categories the wind categories. The wind categories we have now are located with respect to Cat 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 cyclones.
So if people don't have the map will they be slightly disadvantaged in cyclone season?
Definitely yes. But I mean this new one, all that we have included is some extra new information. The map itself is nothing apart from cleaning up, and extending the area a bit. With this version there is no big change to it, so they can still use that old version. With regards to the cyclone tracking map it has a little bit more information what we're trying to tell people is to take precautions.More time in preparing rather than wait till the last minute, instead of waiting for wind to effect them, they need to take actions well before hand.
