/ SUCCESS STORY

WEATHER RADAR Keeping Watch Over New Zealand’s Skies with Vaisala Challenging topography and geographical isolation mean that in New Zealand is no easy task. MetService, the country’s national meteorological service, trusted Vaisala to underpin its five-year, NZD 12 million expansion program.

Securing Valuable and businesses alike. As part of an Vaisala was the ideal partner, thanks Information For Severe initiative to improve its capacity to its ability to offer a solution that Weather Forecasting In a for providing warnings of short- would integrate seamlessly with its Challenging Environment term, events, the existing data processing systems organization initiated a five-year, and its established reputation for MetService provides the weather NZD 12 million weather radar providing high quality, innovative forecasting services that keep New expansion program in 2007. weather radar technology. Zealand moving and help protect MetService was confident that the country’s residents, tourists,

Challenge Solution Benefits ▪ Improve capacity for providing ▪ Vaisala Dual Polarization ▪ Greatly improved warning accurate warning of short- Weather Radar WRM200, accuracy, helping safeguard term, severe weather events initial installation at two lives and property ▪ Enhance the overall availability locations ▪ More detailed analysis of and quality of weather data for ▪ Two further WRM200s to be individual weather systems, forecasting installed in 2011 and 2012 especially precipitation types ▪ Increase operational reliability ▪ Extension of Severe Thunder- of equipment storm Warning Service range ▪ Reduced downtime and maintenance costs through remote monitoring and fault diagnostics capabilities Improving Forecasting Expanding Capabilities “The dual polarization capability Accuracy, Coverage, and and Ensuring Continued of the new Vaisala radars provides Reliability Reliability us with a lot more detail. We The installation of the first In terms of maintenance, the rugged can now distinguish between WRM200 dual polarization radar territory of New Zealand presents its on Mahia Peninsula in October own set of unique challenges. Radar precipitation types in clouds, 2009 filled a significant gap in the sites can be hundreds of kilometers analyze raindrop size, and MetService network. With a range apart and often challenging to access, identify the presence of super- of 300 kilometers, the radar enables so excellent equipment reliability cooled water droplets, which monitoring of weather systems over and remote-monitoring capabilities can cause icing problems for the Pacific Ocean immediately to the are vital. The real-time remote aircraft. Our forecasting range is east of the North Island, as well as monitoring and fault diagnostic over its central and eastern parts. capabilities of the MetService also much wider than previously, Expansion of the network continued WRM200 radars have helped reduce and because we have much with the installation of the second the need for site visits, thereby more detailed information about WRM200 at Mamaku in the Bay of lowering maintenance costs. Highly weather systems at our disposal, it Plenty, enabling MetService to further impressed with the performance makes planning for any potential extend its Severe Thunderstorm and excellent reliability of the problems much easier for the Warning Service. Dual polarization WRM200, MetService is continuing capability brings a host of benefits its cooperation with Vaisala by local authorities.” for forecasters, providing them with expanding its network with two John Crouch, much more detailed information further radars, in Westland in 2011 MetService on weather systems – including and Northland in 2012. radar meteorologist the ability to distinguish between liquid and frozen precipitation within rainclouds – and, therefore, enabling much more accurate and timely forecasting.

The Mahia weather radar. Photo courtesy of New Zealand MetService.

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