Manila – Cignal, the Philippines’ fastest growing satellite TV provider and a TV5 sister company, will launch the Weather Information Network (WIN) – the country’s first dedicated 24/7 weather and public information channel – in partnership with METRA, New Zealand’s privately owned meteorological service.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) singled out TV5 and lauded its commitment to improving weather news broadcasting before the rainy season, which it predicts will start in mid-May.

“The longstanding collaboration between PAGASA and the media, TV5 in particular, has served the public very well specially during extreme weather events by communicating accurate weather information in a timely and prudent manner to the public,” said PAGASA Chief Dr. Nathaniel Servando.

TV5 has been giving weather information through its Aksyon Weather Center since 2010. Now, using METRA’s advanced computer based weather visualisation system and information from PAGASA, TV5 can make weather updates easily understandable to laymen audiences. With METRA-provided full color and full motion graphics, TV5 can show projected storm tracks, wind direction, rain volume and water conditions.

Apart from giving the general overview of Philippine weather, TV5 is able to do fly-bys of regional and provincial weather as well as niche weather updates, such as of beach resorts, shipping and seven-day forecasts.