Roger Williams is Serco's international weather manager at Bermuda Weather Services (BWS) located at Southside across from the once Longtail Burgers.

He is a chartered meteorologist of the Royal Meteorological Society and has a passion about his work. Each day he uses technology and his senses studying weather for Bermuda.

Serco Aviation Services has the responsibility of managing Bermuda's sophisticated governmental agency since the US Navy left in 1995.

Serco is an international task management contractor to Government and industry, providing comprehensive engineering, management, and technical support services worldwide. Serco operates in 30 countries with about 14,000 staff.

"We do the job for the customer but we like to be integrated with the customers,'' explained Mr. Williams.

BWS is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with one forecaster and one tech on duty.

In Bermuda one of their key roles is providing weather warnings for the general public and the Bermuda Airport. Meteorological technicians collect and broadcast data from the Aeronautical Fixed Telecom Network which is the service which pilots use worldwide for flying safely.

They work closely with Harbour Radio and provide the VHF marine forecasts on channel two. They provide tropical storm updates and advisories when systems are active in the Atlantic. They liaise with the Emergency Measures Organisation and Marine and Ports.

"We observe what the weather does with our reams of computer paper, barometric readings and satellite information. We are in communication with the National Hurricane Centre of Miami, the regional centre for monitoring the North American Caribbean Area,'' said Mr. Williams.

A record of weather data as far back as 1949 is kept, and updated daily, for research and averaging purposes and for answering the numerous queries they receive on past weather.

Mr. Williams is knowledgeable in his field. "The weather has held a fascination for me since I was a young boy. It is a strong force of nature which excites me.'' Meteorologists need superb skills in math and sciences, particularly physics and computer skills. Following university Mr. Williams worked in the forecasting branch of Heathrow aviation for one year. He then work in Cyprus for a year followed by a stint with the Royal Air Forces in the UK mobile weather unit. He joined Serco and worked in the Middle East at the weather offices in Qatar and Abu Daubi.

If a hurricane starts brewing there is a lot of excitement at the Bermuda Weather Services.

"If it is approaching Bermuda we get a combination of excitement and of feeling a little scared. Being on the front line is being under a lot of pressure. We have close contact with the Miami Centre and we have information from hurricane hunter aircraft. Bermuda is lucky to have so much technology and help from so many sources,'' Mr. Williams advised.

The largest computer monitor is dedicated to a geostationary satellite which provides high-resolution inmates every 15 minutes. This aids in forecasting and covers the eastern portions of North, Central, and South America and the western North Atlantic.

This system is supplemented with the Broadview Lightning Detector which plots lightning as far out as 300 miles along with the noise lightning makes. It is used specifically for ascertaining the direction of thunderstorms. When the thunderstorm approaches Bermuda it is picked up on radar.

Radar's range is about 100 miles and it is excellent for predicting storm severity and proximity to Bermuda and if it will or will not hit the Island.

The use of automated sensors and equipment is employed for the measurement of weather parameters, such as temperature, wind speed and direction, and amount of precipitation. Upper air temperatures, humidities and winds are measured and recorded first thing every morning using a weather balloon.

More than one weather balloon is launched daily during hurricane season (June - November).

It is very important that Bermuda has a meteorological station such as ours because the only other source of weather observations and forecasts are ships which may be in the area at the time. During hurricane season it is a vital resource for updates.

At the Bermuda Weather Station they use common sense deductions as well as scientific data. "You can look up at the clouds and you can tell if rain is coming. We look at clouds with radar and in a broad scale with satellite,'' advised Mr. Williams.

Additionally, they have a special locked box outdoors where they keep their local shark oil which they monitor. "It seems to work but changes as the weather changes in pressure. As the barometer drops it is affected. We rely more on scientific instrumentation. We are not as skilled as some of the locals when it comes to the shark oil interpretation,'' he concluded with a smile.

Weather Manager: Roger Williams observes the shark oil and the satellites.

Right on : Satellites show precise information about weather HURRICANES HUR