working to make sure that a tropical storm or hurricane never takes Bermuda by surprise.

Operating prior to, and during occurrences, as a vehicle through which mariners may keep abreast of weather conditions.

"We obviously have a contingency plan for the various ports,'' explained Senior Radio Officer and Rescue Co-ordinator Controller, Scott Simmons, "but for the most part, what we do here using different marine radio frequencies, is to broadcast information to an internationally-published schedule that ships and private vessels coming to Bermuda can listen to and get information on the weather and the storm's position at that time. So we have more to do with the dissemination of the weather product.'' Harbour Radio receives such information over a satellite feed from the US National Weather Service, he said, which makes its up-to-the-minute forecast available to television stations, meteorologists, the Weather Channel and commercial users like themselves, throughout North America.

"The message forecast is received by us and we use it for our regular broadcasts or our NAVTEX broadcast (similar to an automated telex which is over the radio system, it enables mariners to obtain a hardcopy or printout of a forecast). So we put out the weather information that we normally broadcast as well as a heightened awareness in the event of a storm.

"As any storm approaches the port is closed due to the weather forecast and so we're pretty quiet. There's not much people can do if a hurricane is close to approach and their boat is not already secured. And there's not a lot they can do once we're under the effects of a hurricane or strong winds, but to sit it out. Obviously most ships will steer clear of the storm by staying in port in Bermuda, but some, like cruise ships, put out to sea to try and ride out the storm there as opposed to in port. They're doing their best to keep out of the storm's path and they look to us for information to help them do that.

"We routinely send messages should a tropical storm or hurricane form. Our range is 300 miles from Bermuda and with voice broadcast, a number of different frequencies can be received. Because of the importance of the service to mariners, we're really interested in having up-to-date information.

Between us and the Bermuda Weather Service, we have a pretty good redundancy in recovering information from the National Hurricane Service whose product is the only definitive information we have on a hurricane when it comes near Bermuda.'' HURRICANES SUPPLEMENT HUR