Ángel Martín Argüello Arévalo, better known as “The Weather Man” (El Hombre del Tiempo), has become a prominent figure in Paraguay’s meteorological field at just 24 years old. His Facebook page, “The Weather Man”, offers weather forecasts and meteorology divulgation from across the country. Although he is still finalising his thesis, Ángel is already a meteorologist in his own right. His work has turned him into a beloved reference for thousands of Paraguayans who rely on his forecasts.
How The Weather Man came to be
“Back in my hometown, Paraguari (a city located 66 kilometres away from Asunción), it all started with curiosity. When I was a child, my natural curiosity and rebellion (in a good sense) pushed me towards what I am doing nowadays,” nostalgically tells Ángel. He remembers how he first looked at the sky and asked, “Why do clouds not fall? Or why are they white?” His passion grew relentlessly until it took firm root.
“At first, I learnt by reading books and watching videos of some of the most respected meteorologists. Then, I enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences at the Polytechnic Faculty of the National University of Asunción (UNA), where I am currently doing my thesis.”
About the creation of his project, he recalls: “Around 2016, I met Anthony Páez, a colleague who runs the page ‘Fan of Meteorology Paraguay’. I contacted him, and we spent hours talking about storms. Back then, there were few pages about this topic.”
“After collaborating with Anthony, I created the page in 2018, which was called ‘Meteorological Reports’ at that time. In 2019, I earned 15,000 followers. I decided to change the name in 2024 to ‘El Hombre del Tiempo,’ and it was a boom. I remember gaining 10,000 new followers in one week. It was unbelievable.”
“As of now, I entirely run the administration of my page, and I do it in my free time. But I have to say that people usually complain because I do not update often. What they do not know is that making a forecast can last about 3 hours, which I do not have every day. My family supports me emotionally, and my friends encourage me to continue with the project. Too much pressure is not good, but my friends are always there for me.”
How The Weather Man impacted his community
For Ángel, what truly matters is the help he provides. “I like helping and teaching. I feel good doing those things, even though sometimes my work can burn me out.”
“People usually text me to know about the weather. I help them write reports so that they can plan their activities peacefully. The gap is usually about 15 days, and doing this is a tremendous responsibility. A man from Loreto (a district in the department of Concepción) always writes to me asking if the weather will be optimal in order to use his machines in the field. Hence, some people depend on me to work and bring food to their families.”
Ángel believes that weather disclosure is extremely important for Paraguay, but should be more controlled. “I usually find excellent pages with responsible communicators. But there also are those who are neither and impede the work of those who seek to share truthful information.”
The weather scene in Paraguay
“Our country is characterised by humid and rainy regions in the southeast of the Oriental region to drier and semi-desert areas in the west of the Chaco. Even though Paraguay is relatively small compared to our neighbours, there is a lot to see and study about the weather here.”
One particular event that stays in his mind is the tornado of Mbocayaty del Yhaguy, in October 2023. “The tornado was the most shocking and exciting thing that I had to cover. The circumstance made me think a lot about the strength of nature and how fragile we truly are.”
At the end, Ángel shares that he dreams of doing a master’s degree and eventually studying abroad, doing a doctorate in Oklahoma, in the United States. “Maybe one day I will achieve all of this. I put my dreams in the hands of God.”
A fully independent project
The Weather Man is a completely independent project, so Ángel opened a bank account to receive support from his fans. “Sometimes it helps get access to tools that are not free to the public,” he emphasises. His alias to collaborate with him is 6967814 – Banco Familiar.
He has also opened free consultations for farmers and others who seek professional advisory on weather-related topics. Those interested can contact him at 0972 526 084 and via Facebook Messenger.
