An automated  weather system, which provides forecasts within five days, has been installed in 49 malls of SM malls around the country, according to  SM Supermalls president Annie Garcia.

The SM executive said that  to get the latest weather updates and forecasts, just log  on at www.weather.com.ph<http://www.weather.com.ph> and enter SM and the mall of their choice.

A 5-day weather forecast in a locality where the mall is located will appear on the computer screen.  It will also provide the current and forecasted details on the weather conditions such as the temperature, amount of rain, humidity, dew point, and wind speed and direction.

Garcia said the AWS was intended to provide the public up-to-date weather forecast to enable them to plan their activities ahead of time and save lives and property.

She said the creation of the weather website is just part of SM’s growing partnership with Weather Philippine Foundation Inc (WPFI), a non-profit organization that helps local government units monitor weather conditions in their locality, improving nationwide disaster preparedness and  response to variable weather conditions.

SM is the only mall in the country with an AWS, Garcia said.

“This continuing partnership is part our commitment to promote disaster risk reduction management in all our malls. This will not only help in monitoring weather conditions through the AWS but we are stepping it up by making the information available to everyone, especially our customers to help them plan their days ahead,” stressed Garcia.

With the onset of the rainy season comes erratic weather,  getting accurate and timely weather forecasts is therefore a must especially for those planning a trip for the weekend or simply going from one place to another, she said.

SM’s Assistant Vice President for Operations and Head of the Environmental Committee Lisa Silerio  said the web application, which may be accessed by using any android or internet-capable phone, is especially useful at this time of extreme weather conditions affecting the country and the world.

“The typhoons we experienced the past several years, especially last year when Yolanda hit the Visayas, is a great lesson to all of us to be more prepared and heed the warnings being made. This is one of our contributions to help the Filipino people be informed of the weather conditions way ahead of time and ultimately save lives,” Silerio stressed.

Two SM malls in Marikina and Muntinlupa were earlier featured in the recently concluded UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction Global Platform for Disaster Reduction in Geneva, Switzerland.

Silerio said these malls served as examples of best practices in disaster risk reduction, readiness, and resilience for businesses.