EUROPEPublished on November 14, 2024

Inauguration of the Saint-Martin / Sint-Maarten weather radar

On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., an official ceremony at the Government Building in Sint Maarten marked the inauguration of the new weather radar installed in Saint-Peters on the island of Saint-Martin.

Inauguration of the Saint-Martin / Sint-Maarten weather radar

This significant event, which highlights exemplary cooperation between the French State, the Collectivité of Saint-Martin and the Government of Sint Maarten, represents a major step forward in strengthening regional capacities for monitoring and responding to extreme weather events in the Caribbean basin.

Among the personalities present were:

• Mr. Luc MERCELINA, Prime Minister of Sint Maarten;

• Mr. Louis MUSSINGTON, President of the Collectivité of Saint-Martin;

• Mr. Vincent BERTON, Prefect of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin;

• Ms. Grisha HEYLIGER-MARTEN, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications of Sint Maarten;

• Mr. Emmanuel CLOPPET, Director of the Meteorological Center of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin;

• Ms. Sheryl ETIENNE-LEBLANC, Acting Director of the Meteorological Department of Sint Maarten.

Installed in St Peters on the Dutch side of the island, the weather radar symbolises close collaboration between France, the Netherlands and the territories of Saint Martin and Sint Maarten, as well as their shared commitment to strengthening the safety of populations in the face of climate risks. This state-of-the-art facility allows weather services to issue more accurate and better coordinated warnings on a regional scale, thus helping to protect residents in the event of natural disasters such as hurricanes.

This achievement was made possible thanks to substantial financial support from the INTERREG Caribbean programme, with funding of €1,293,750 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as well as contributions from the Government of Sint Maarten (€575,000) and the Collectivité de Saint-Martin (€431,250), for a total of €2,300,000.

This cooperation highlights the crucial importance of regional solidarity in the face of climate challenges. The installation of the radar in St. Peters strengthens the capacity to anticipate and monitor extreme weather conditions, providing essential protection not only to the people of Sint Maarten and St. Martin but also to the neighboring islands.

Inauguration of the Saint-Martin / Sint-Maarten weather radar