The University of Hawaiʻi is expanding its climate data research into the Pacific, according to a Thursday news release.
Researchers from UH and the East-West Center created the online Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal in 2022. They use the information to determine policy decisions on climate risks and more.
As part of the expansion, data will be integrated from the Hawaiʻi Mesonet, a weather monitoring network with 100 telemetered climate stations statewide. Each mesonet, which is scanned every 4 seconds, helps researchers better understand the weather and resources in the area.
UH says there are efforts underway to establish mesonets in both American Samoa and Guam.
“The Hawaiʻi Mesonet is filling critical gaps in our understanding of climate in Hawaiʻi. Improving monitoring across the Pacific is a goal we are working towards, one station at a time,” said Tom Giambelluca, UH Water Resource Research Center director, in a press release.
Federal agencies have used the climate data for an insurance product for Hawaiʻi ranchers, and it’s also used to produce a monthly climate report.
So far, more than 45,000 users have accessed more than 20 million files from the online Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal.
