St Ignatius College Goes Weather Digital

Students at St Ignatius College during a training session comparing traditional manual instruments with the new automatic weather station.

At FreedPer Scientific, we are committed to transforming education, agriculture, and community resilience through supply and installation of global standard weather stations. In this spirit, we have installed a high-end Automatic Weather Station at St Ignatius College, delivering accurate data on temperature, pressure, rainfall, and wind, along with localized forecasts for the greater Chishawasha area.

Why Global-Standard Weather Stations Matter

Weather information is more than just numbers—it is a powerful tool for decision-making, safety, and innovation. A station built to international standards ensures data that is trusted, accurate, and compatible with global networks. It enriches learning, supports agriculture, guides event planning, strengthens disaster preparedness, benefits local communities, and sparks climate-smart innovation. By investing in a world-class AWS, St Ignatius College has positioned itself as a trailblazer in climate-smart education and community resilience.

Strategic Partnerships Amplifying Impact

This milestone has already drawn the attention of our global partners, underlining the value of reliable weather infrastructure in Africa.

African Mountain Research Foundation (AMRF) – a UK-based NGO operating nine high-elevation weather stations in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe – has extended its support to St Ignatius. Through the leadership of Clara Hickman, AMRF has provided access to its rich datasets, empowering the school to download and analyse information for teaching and research. This collaboration ensures that learners are exposed to world-class climate science, grounded in African realities.

Synoptic Data – a U.S.-based organization with the largest weather and environmental data platform in the world – is working with St Ignatius to formally integrate its weather station into a global network recognized by the National Weather Service (NOAA) and over 340 other data networks. With the support of Ashish Raval, President & CEO of Synoptic, this partnership will position St Ignatius College on the global stage as a recognized contributor to international weather intelligence.

It will also give the school greater visibility by making its data accessible to the worldwide meteorological community. Most importantly, students and staff will benefit from free access to Synoptic’s advanced real-time dashboards—unlocking live weather data, custom visualizations, and smart alerts that enhance both learning and campus decision-making.

Making Africa Weather-Ready

At FreedPer Scientific, we envision an Africa that is Weather-Ready—empowered with accurate data to strengthen education, agriculture, and climate resilience. Partnerships with organizations like AMRF and Synoptic are key to this mission, bringing global integration, credibility, and powerful tools that unlock the true potential of weather information. With St Ignatius College leading the way, we are proving that investing in reliable, world-standard weather infrastructure is not just about science—it’s about transforming lives, communities, and futures in Africa.