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MESSAGE FOR WORLD METEOROLOGICAL DAY 2024

The Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) welcomes you to join us as we celebrate World Meteorological Day under the theme: At the frontlines of climate action.

As the national entity for issuing forecast and alerts for the various Meteorological and Hydrological hazards that affect our small island and marine space, we understand the BMS’ very critical role in addressing the impacts of climate change.

The BMS has extensively improved its observational and modelling capacity over the past five years as we seek to provide our country with more impacts focused alerts and improve accuracy of forecast.

The introduction of over 90 Automatic Weather Stations across the island, has enabled us to provide information on meteorological variables such as rainfall and temperature changes across the island for every parish.

Flash-floods are no strangers to Barbados and the installation of water level sensors at some of our waterways enables us to provide valuable information on the height of flood waters at a few locations, while providing data on how effective current mitigation efforts have been. These sensors also give us the ability to measure changes in tidal variations along some of our coastlines.

Going beyond land observations, the BMS has introduced four unmanned sea-surface drones to capture marine data and information on tropical systems that pose a threat to this island nation. Data from all of these instruments are not only meant to feed our forecast models, therefore providing even more accurate predictions but also to build future datasets for research and verification on the changes experienced on a local scale.

Understanding the impacts from systems that have impacted Barbados in recent years, such as Tropical Storm Bret in 2023 and Hurricane Elsa in 2021, the Met Services’ push towards tackling climate change and the increasing variability also involves an active engagement with our stakeholders and the wider community.

By engaging in conversations with the public, the BMS is in a position to provide more tailored, sector specific forecast and climate services and communicate meteorological information more effectively. Our engagement with the media ensures that alerts reach all members of society, regardless of vulnerabilities.

In keeping with its outreach initiative, the BMS commenced celebrations for World Meteorological Day this year with a Church Service and a coastal hike on March 17. Celebrations will culminate on Saturday, March 23, (World Meteorological Day) with an Expo held at its Charnocks, Christ Church location from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This Expo will give a tour of the BMS Operations office with insight into the department’s equipment, including its 3D Printed Stations and Sea Surface Drones along with its forecasting models. It will also feature exhibitions from various partnering agencies such as the Barbados Water Authority, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre and the Department of Emergency Management, to name a few. Running concurrently, will be a Scavenger Hunt from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for the adventure lovers.

We welcome you all to come out and enjoy the activities as you learn about our weather, water and climate and interact with staff of the Met Office. This is a wonderful opportunity for all, as we stand together at the frontlines of climate action.

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SPECIAL POLLING DAY NOTICE

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FundAccess To Host Legal Clinic Workshop from May 13th

Entrepreneurs will soon get another opportunity to learn about critical legal matters that are key to the operation of their businesses.

FundAccess will be hosting The Legal Clinic Workshop, which will commence on Tuesday, May 13, and continue each Tuesday, until May 27, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The workshop will be facilitated by Attorney-at-law Ondene Kirton and participants will discuss Understanding Business Legal Structures; Contracts & Agreements; Employment Law & Compliance; and Examination of the Various Laws Relating to Small Business.

During those sessions, the participants will be exposed to sole proprietorship, partnerships, corporations – pro and cons; how to choose the right legal structure for a business; the importance of contracts in business operations; avoiding common contract pitfalls; and employee rights & employer responsibilities, among others. Some of the pieces of legislation to be examined include the Employment Rights Act and National Insurance and Social Security Act.

Interested persons may attend the workshop in person at FundAccess’ Pinfold Street, Bridgetown location, or online via the Zoom Platform. To register, click on the following link: https://bit.ly/3Fu09Jv.

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Centenarian Built On Firm Foundation Set By Grandmother

“Trust God first” is the mantra of one of Barbados’ newest centenarians, Athelstan Browne, who celebrated his 100th birthday on April 29, 2025, at his home in Montrose, Christ Church, surrounded by family and friends.

One of his specially invited guests was President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.

Mr. Browne shared that he grew up “not knowing a mummy” as his mother passed away at age 23, when he was two years old, and his brother was only one year old.

Crediting his grandmother for his upbringing, Mr. Brown remarked: “I had a real good, good grandmother that raised two of us, and everything we learn before we went to school, she taught us.”

Pointing to a humble yet deeply religious upbringing, Mr. Browne said: “I and my brother slept on the floor. Our grandmother spread things down there, and she just put the pillow under our head.”

He recalled that they had to sing the hymn “Under the Blood” before going to bed, and first thing in the morning before they had breakfast, which usually consisted of “a cup of tea and two biscuits”. Adding that the hymn was “our song”, Mr. Browne sang the hymn from memory.

Stressing that his grandmother was a great provider, he noted: “My grandmother had land, and she would work the land…. We would eat raw potato, raw okras, (green) peas, cucumbers…. The only thing we did not eat was raw yams and eddoes.”

Mr. Browne continues to enjoy his ground provisions “with a little rice”, as he likes his rice with green peas, and if available, chicken boiled with the rice. “I am a fish man,” he remarked, eating it either fried or with a “stew sauce”.

Continuing to nurture his Christian beliefs, he joined the Mount Ararat United Holy Church (currently in Dayrell’s Road, Christ Church) in 1967, at age 33, and has continued there ever since.

Once the Superintendent of the Sunday School at the church, Mr. Browne is still instrumental in providing leadership to the youth there. “I have a crowd of young people at church that love me…especially when I have to talk to them…. It is what they should hear and what they should have,” he said.

The centenarian was raised in Montrose, Christ Church, and attended the Christ Church Boys’ School (now Milton Lynch Primary School). After leaving school, Mr. Browne initially took to agriculture but then worked cutting soft stone in two quarries in Christ Church.

In 1947, at the age of 22, he decided to join the US Farm Labour Programme and took the first Pan American Airlines flight out of Barbados. Over 10 years later, Mr. Browne returned to Barbados and married Monica Browne (deceased). Together, they built the house where he currently resides.

Returning to his roots in agriculture, the centenarian worked at the Ridge Plantation, Christ Church, until retirement. He also planted and reaped ground produce at home, as well as planted and cut canes.

Mr. Browne, who is generally in good health and has a sharp memory, still works around the home and enjoys reading, which he does without glasses. He also keeps in touch with his family in New York and North Carolina, and will do some travelling, but he is always ready to return home.

After toasting the centenarian, Her Excellency remarked: “You are in the midst of a lot of love, and I am sure you are going to enjoy the rest of your birthday. I am really happy to have met you. I am grateful for the work that you still continue to do with our young people because a lot of them lack direction, and we, nowadays, don’t take enough time to sit down and speak with them…. We don’t remind them that they are important, that they are somebody.”

Mr. Browne responded: “You got to make them understand what … the Lord expects of them… We have to acknowledge the Lord.”

Mr. Browne has two children, 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. (PR/GIS)

Caption: President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, and Barbados’ newest centenarian Athelstan Browne take a walk outside during his birthday celebrations in Montrose, Christ Church