UK supercomputer to help combat Africa’s worst locust outbreak in decades

The UK aid and the UK Met Office are funding a supercomputer to help East African countries overcome the devastating locust outbreaks by tracking the insects’ movements around the continent. The supercomputer, which is based in Kenya, processes satellite data to track the insects, anticipates their moves, and warns vulnerable communities to be prepared. The UK is also providing £5 million to an emergency UN appeal to help vulnerable communities in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Tanzania use this data to prepare for the arrival of locusts. ‘With rising temperatures and increasing cyclones driving these infestations, Britain is stepping up to help vulnerable communities prepare for and adapt to the catastrophic impacts of climate change,’ noted International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan.