As the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA) officially declares the onset of the rainy season, many Filipinos rely on weather forecasts from either directly to the country’s weather agency or through newscasts on television, radio, and even online.

Data and information like the location and current track of typhoon, landfall area, hoisted tropical cyclone wind signals (TCWS), maximum sustained winds, gustiness, expected damage to properties, and a lot more come from the weather stations deployed across the country, primarily operated by the DOST-PAGASA.

These stations monitor and observe the weather through a combination of manual synoptic stations and automated, technology-driven systems. They track key variables like temperature, rainfall, wind, humidity, and atmospheric pressure—to provide daily forecasts and warn against severe weather like typhoons.

However, weather experts said these stations have limitations in terms of real-time observation and localized monitoring, thus the need to deploy a small team called ‘storm chasers’ on the ground during typhoons to conduct ground truth investigation.

“Alam kasi natin na, 'di ba, dito sa bansa natin, very complex 'yong topography, complex 'yong lugar, may mga coastal community. So hindi lahat ng iyon ay naco-cover ng mga station, satellite, and radar. So, for example, 'yong pinuntahan namin last time sa Aurora, coastal community siya. So very complex, lalo na pag pinag-usapan natin 'yong storm surge. So mao-observe at mame-measure lang natin kung ano iyong naging impact noon by having a team sa ground,” Weather Specialist I and Storm Chaser Marco Polo Ibañez said in an interview.

(We all know that here in our country, the topography is very complex, the area is complex, there are coastal communities. So, not all of that is covered by stations, satellites, and radar. For example, the one we went to last time in Aurora was a coastal community. It’s very complex, especially when we talked about the storm surge. We can only observe and measure what the impact was by having a team on the ground.)

While it may seem new to the public, storm chasers have existed even in the ‘90’s, according to some sources across the web.

Several sources define a storm chaser as someone who intentionally pursues severe weather to conduct scientific research or media coverage. However, according to Engr. Wilfredo H. Tuazon, storm chasers is a group of meteorologists formed as a specialized technical working group (TWG), specifically during typhoon season.

Tuazon is the assistant weather services chief of the Hydro Meteorology, Tropical Meteorology, and Instruments Research and Development Section and the storm chaser team coordinator.

Moreover, weather specialist and storm chaser Lean Michael A. Malabanan said that by having a team on the ground, DOST-PAGASA gets to know the local perspective of the affected community and assess how they respond and prepare for the weather information they receive.

The storm chasing team conducted pre-event survey and aerial footage using a drone, along the coastal community of Purok 5, Sabang Baler on the morning of November 8, 2025. In photo are Marco Polo Ibañez, Fernando Ramirez, Engr. Wilfredo H. Tuazon, and Marcos P. Bacani wearing a white safety hat. (Photo from DOST-PAGASA)

“Mahalagang-mahalaga na malaman namin kung paano tumatakbo 'yong isip nila para mas ma-refine pa natin, kung paano natin i-de-deliver 'yong mga weather and climate information natin,” Malabanan said.

(It's very important that we know how their minds work so that we can further refine how we deliver our weather and climate information.)

Unlike weather forecasters who are office-based and are more focused on the entire country’s weather status, storm chasers are deployed onsite, chasing a tropical cyclone that is forecasted to cause severe damage.

“So, we are closely working with the weather division para malaman namin yung forecast. Pero during the deployment, pag nasa field na kami, monitoring na 'yong ginagawa namin, and nowcasting. So pag sinabing nowcasting, for the next three to six hours, saan papunta yung bagyo, etc.,” Ibañez said.

He added that the storm chasing team works closely with the forecasters by providing hourly field updates that serve as the forecaster’s eyes on the ground, allowing them to validate and cross-check forecasted weather conditions against  actual observations in real time.  This continuous feedback enhances situational awareness and helps ensure that weather advisories and warnings remain accurate and responsive to evolving conditions.

Weather Specialist and Storm Chaser Marco Polo A. Ibañez measures wind speeds using a hand-held weather sensor along the coast of Sabang Beach, Baler, Aurora on the morning of November 9, 2025 —the day when Super Typhoon Uwan has landed. (Photo from DOST-PAGASA)

Tuazon, Ibañez, and Malabanan are among the storm chasers deployed during the Super Typhoon Uwan in November 2025 at Barangay Sabang, Baler Aurora.

According to Tuazon, the storm chasing team is usually composed of five to seven members, which includes a team leader, documenter, instrumentalist, at least three meteorologists, and drivers who are also in charge of assisting the team.

The team leader acts as the overall coordinator and head of delegation for the team, while the documenter collects photos and videos before, during, and after the deployment. On the other hand, the instrumentalist is in charge of installing the equipment used to gather data, such as, but not limited to, digital barometers, ultrasonic wind sensors, and automatic and manual rain gauges.

While the ideal deployment is 10-15 members for three teams, Tuazon said there are currently limitations in the budget and manpower of DOST-PAGASA. Thus, they can only deploy one to two teams, with five to seven members each. As of this writing, the deployment of storm chasers is limited to Luzon areas only. With this, weather experts are calling for more government support.

“Budget po talaga [ang kailangan]. Hindi po siya joke-joke na sagot, pero kasi, 'yong budget constraints talaga 'yong naging, one of the main challenges siguro kasi, mayroon kaming nakalaan na budget for a year in a storm for a storm chasing activity. However, paano pagka sunod-sunod 'yong bagyo?” Malabanan said.

Currently, DOST-PAGASA has around 10-15  storm chasers. However, not all of them can be deployed simultaneously in the field during typhoon events, as some are also assigned to serve as DOST-PAGASA representatives at the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) to ensure that disaster response and coordination efforts are guided by precise, science-based, and real-time weather information. This limits the number of storm chasers available for field deployment at any given time.

DOST-PAGASA is one of the 18 attached agencies of the DOST under its Scientific and Technical Services Institutes aimed at providing science-based, innovative, and inclusive solutions across four strategic pillars: human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability. These pillars embody the mantra OneDOST4U: Solutions and Opportunities for All. For more information, visit www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph. (By Claire Bernadette A. Mondares, DOST-STII)