The second half of 2017 and the start of 2018 has been characterized by extreme weather throughout the world. Major hurricanes, floods, wildfires and cold spells reveal ongoing changes in the global climate. In many cases these events have not only been intense; they have been record-breaking.
Despite 2017 being a warm year overall, the UK has battled several extreme weather events recently including 3 major storms:
Whilst these are just some examples of extreme weather events that affected the British Isles, similar news made headlines throughout the world. Flooding in South Asia was above average during the 2017 monsoon season, Australia had the 3rd hottest year on record, and California had its most destructive wildfire season ever. The unprecedented nature of these events means that using traditional methods to monitor extreme weather events is becoming increasingly difficult.
system is essential. The recent pattern of record-breaking weather events highlights the limitations of current forecasting methods, which offer limited location-based forecasts and do not reflect short duration events such as wind gusts.
Using smart data technology to monitor extreme weather can help to increase preparation times, reduce potential infrastructure damage and in the event of a disaster aid response plans. During extreme weather, the affected regions can sometimes experience limited access to services such as electricity and internet connectivity because of flooding and damage caused by strong winds. Therefore, retrieving live data from affected areas can be effective in helping to predict the resulting damage.
However, the variety of extreme weather events means that the requirements of weather monitoring devices differ depending on the location. For example, a location experiencing drought requires a heat-resistant and dust-tight monitoring system. On the other hand, a device used to monitor harsh winter weather requires low-temperature resistance, water-tightness and even resistance to ice and snow formation on monitoring equipment.
Monitoring systems intended for extreme weather must be rugged to ensure that the data gathered serves its purpose. Monitoring the weather in extreme weather conditions comes with many challenges depending on the environment. To get the most from your system it should have the following core attributes:
WINDCRANE has been developed with the above features in mind to provide a durable weather monitoring solution. Using live data that is displayed in an easy to understand format, WINDCRANE can be used in many extreme weather scenarios to effectively monitor the weather.
As the weather becomes more unpredictable, having access to up to date and live measurements is essential. Record-breaking weather events reveal the limitations of current forecasting methods in providing accurate area specific predictions. Using a weather monitoring system can help you to reduce the impact of extreme weather on your operations by enabling you to plan and respond effectively.