Aruba weather archives digitized for climate research

The International Panel on Deltas and Coastal Areas has completed a project to digitize historic meteorological archives from Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. The initiative aims to strengthen climate research, projections, and early-warning systems in the region.

As part of the project, historical records were converted into digital images, with much of the underlying data extracted into computer-readable formats. This included approximately 70,000 pages from the former Netherlands Antilles meteorological archive in Curaçao, with some records dating back to 1880. The digitization process involved the governments and meteorological services of the respective islands, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, and local platforms such as Aruba’s National Climate Resilience Council.

The expanded database is expected to improve the understanding of current conditions and assist in refining climate scenarios for the years 2050 through 2100. For Aruba and Bonaire, the archive helps fill data gaps in the 1991–2020 climate-normal reference period, allowing for more accurate comparisons between historical conditions and modern temperature trends.