Real-time updated weather data, interactive satellite imagery, and new climate monitoring tools are making it increasingly easier for the public to access climate information. On the new website of the Center for Meteorological and Climatic Research Applied to Agriculture (Cepagri) at Unicamp, these new technologies allow the public to obtain more precise information on, for example, temperature, precipitation, wind speed, relative humidity, and phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña. Visit
The website, one of the oldest at Unicamp, was launched in 1995 and has undergone several redesigns over more than 30 years, highlights Renata Ribeiro Gonçalves, associate coordinator of Cepagri. "With the updates, we improved navigation and expanded public access to the data produced," she emphasizes.
One of the new features of the latest version is the integration with the Labsat platform, which allows users to view satellite images with different layers of information. “Previously, the platform had images without interaction. Now, the user can interact and analyze different information,” explains Gonçalves, who emphasizes that the images are generated from data from a geostationary satellite that monitors about a third of the planet, including all of South America. “It’s possible to map, for example, fire outbreaks, surface temperature, ocean temperature, and the number of lightning strikes,” he states.
There are also previously unpublished graphs showing variations over the last 24 hours, the last 15 days, and historical data from the last 30 years. "It's possible to choose specific periods and analyze historical averages," explains Gonçalves. According to the coordinator, the forecast is updated daily, and if there are more significant changes, the update may occur more than once a day. "These forecasts are made and signed by meteorologists," she emphasizes.
In the coming months, the website should also incorporate a platform with real-time weather radar images, a project in partnership with the Campinas Metropolitan Agency (Agemcamp) and Civil Defense. “The radar allows us to know exactly where it is raining and the intensity of the precipitation. If there is a very strong storm, it will be possible to predict and track its movement about half an hour in advance,” she explains. According to the coordinator, the tool should contribute to the issuance of weather alerts and the monitoring of extreme events. The radar, installed in 2024 at the Unicamp Exploratory Science Museum, became operational in [year missing]. last December.
Gonçalves points out that the website is used by diverse audiences, from researchers to professionals in sectors that depend on weather conditions, such as agriculture, for example. "This information is freely accessible to the public and can also support scientific research."
The new portal took about a year and a half to complete, in a joint effort with the Coordination of Interdisciplinary Research Centers and Nuclei (Cocen). “The work was done in partnership with our coordination and the developer Derivaldo Reis de Sousa, from the information technology team. We would pass on the demands and he would develop them,” reports Gonçalves, who emphasizes that the platform will continue to be updated as new tools and demands arise. “It’s a website that will be constantly updated, because meteorological information changes all the time and there are also demands from the press, tourism, airports, and other sectors.”
In addition to providing climate data to the general public, Cepagri conducts research in different areas, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) applied to the analysis of environmental data. "We use AI techniques to cross-reference information such as climate data, vegetation index, and fire occurrence. This allows us to identify relationships and generate more accurate results," he says.
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