Telecommunications and IT services provider Vox has launched a weather channel online in partnership with presenter-meteorologist Annette Botha.
The “state-of-the-art, technology-driven” weather channel has been launched after Vox conducted “reseach that found there is a need for more credible, trustworthy and science-backed initiatives to educate and trigger important conversations and behaviour change” around the climate. The channel will be actively marketed on social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram.
“Understanding the weather goes beyond knowing whether to pack an umbrella,” said Vox CEO Jacques du Toit in a statement on Thursday.
“It is vitally important for people, both young and old, to develop a holistic understanding of broader trends and how our actions are affecting the health of our planet.”
Du Toit said mainstream weather broadcasts have “regressed to static representations, which add little value and have left South Africans in a meteorological drought”.
“Our research has indicated a pressing need for informative, educational and credible weather analysis, and we believe that by providing this to South Africans we can drive broader understanding and acknowledgement of climate change and how it affects every one of us.”
‘Our only planet’
Botha, who has an honours degree in meteorology, is a former broadcasting meteorologist and presenter for eMedia Holdings-owned news channel eNCA.
“If we can inspire young people to take an active interest in our regional weather and the forces shaping these changes, we would have gone a long way towards arresting the damage we are inflicting on our only planet,” said Du Toit in the statement.
He said Vox intends to work with partners ahead of and during important sporting events to deliver “detailed forecasts and drive awareness of the importance of quality and trustworthy weather data and insights”.
“This will include exciting sports such as golf, outdoor running and cycling stage events and kite surfing, among others. The technical capabilities will allow for overlaying the track or area of the event on Google Earth and then animating the weather expectations over the course of the event. The team will be able to build highly specific and relevant insights for each event, to help for planning for the athletes and supporters,” he said. — (c) 2021 NewsCentral Media
