INTA develops 'SEPA Precipitaciones' to learn about weather conditions

Researchers from the Argentinian National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) developed a new mobile application called 'SEPA Precipitaciones' to allow users to monitor network images from radars using mobile devices to know the temperature of cloud tops and accumulated rains.

Researchers from INTA Castelar explained that it was necessary to have increasingly specific data to guide farmers during the decision-making process.

According to Carlos Di Bella, Director of the Institute of Climate and Water INTA Castelar and one of the developers of application, 'SEPA Precipitaciones' is an improvement to the SEPA Mobile version, specifically designed to observe the spatial distribution of variables related to rainfall.

This is an application for mobile devices that helps to know the temperature of the cloud tops from the GOES images received at the Institute of Climate and Water, accumulated rainfall information obtained by the network of automatic stations of INTA, and images generated by the radar network of INTA Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Anguil, La Pampa, Parana and Entre Ríos.

"From the data generated by meteorological satellites such as GOES, radar or weather stations, we developed a specific product on rainfall, in which the user can view in a click what satellites and radars see in real time," Di Bella said. He described the application as "an interesting and collaborative tool" that allows farmers to have specific technical information in real time and guidance to help them during decision-making processes.

'SEPA Precipitaciones' was developed jointly with 50,000 users of SEPA Mobile who assisted with their suggestions based on their demands and needs," Di Bella said, adding that the development strengthened the will of the INTA to make weather information available to the users.