by DRONELIFE Staff Author Ian J. McNabb
Swiss-based weather drone manufacturer Meteomatics recently announced a brand new multi-million euro partnership with the Norweigan government (via the Norweigan Research Center, or NORCE) that can help future-proof against unexpected climate and weather that may affect each residents and significant infrastructure.
As the speed of “billion-dollar events”, or natural disasters that cause greater than $1 billion in damage, reached latest heights worldwide last yr (with over 66 separate incidents), the importance of accurate weather reporting and prediction has only increased. As these extreme events grow in each frequency and magnitude in consequence of synthetic global climate change, NORCE chosen Meteomatics as a way of attempting to get ahead of the curve and higher prepare Norway for future economic and ecological challenges.
As a part of the deal, NORCE will install 30 of Meteomatics’ “Meteodrones” around Norweigan airspace, forming a brand new network of sensors to more accurately follow weather patterns and movement on the lower-mid atmospheric level.
DroneLife has previously reported on Meteodrones, a 6-rotor UAV that conducts weather prediction and remark at around 20,000 ft of elevation, well below most existing solutions (like satellites, radar, and planes), which fly much higher. Unlike a weather balloon, which is on the mercy of wind currents and can’t reliably return back to a launch site, the Meteodrone comes with its own ground control unit that shares a telemetric link with the unique unit. This data is then streamed to EURO1k, Meteomatic’s high-resolution weather model with an unprecedented accuracy of as much as 1km blocks to predict even non-disastrous weather (think fog or thunder) in real time.
“NORCE will conduct scientific research to validate the EURO1K forecasts and compare their accuracy with other weather forecasts utilized by the Norwegian Army for tactical decision-making,” said Camilla Stoltenberg, CEO of NORCE. “Meteomatics shows great confidence by allowing us to validate and share the performance of their weather forecasts. This demonstrates that independent scientific research can significantly contribute to the successful transfer of such technology to Norway.”
“We’re honored to play a component in Norway’s forward-looking initiative to arrange itself for weather-related challenges. Our 30 Meteodrones and Meteobases will significantly improve the information basis for accurate weather forecasts across your entire country,” says Martin Fengler, CEO and Founding father of Meteomatics.“The technology readiness of our Meteodrones has already been demonstrated in several countries, and we’re excited to see our Meteodrones take flight in Norway.”
More information on Meteomatics is out there here.