"WEATHER SHIPS” FOR ATLANTIC

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25082, 14 January 1947, Page 7

"WEATHER SHIPS” FOR ATLANTIC

Maintenance By 13 Nations AVIATION FORECASTS

A greatly improved system of weather forecasting, including floating meteorological stations, should be working in the North Atlantic by next summer as a result of agreement between 13 nations (writes Charles Gardner, air correspondent of the •ii weather forecasts will be bestowed on us by courtesy of World Civil Aviation. It has a vested interest in the Atlantic weather; It means dollars, pounds, francs, ana guilders to the various operating companies whose aircraft fly through that weather-—or dqn t fly through it, as the case may be. During the war the AUiea found it paid to have 20 weather ships permanently stationed out in the North Atlantic sending back accurate weather information, and during the war they could, for the first time—if they had been allowed to—have told us definitely whether it was going to rain to-morrow, and that was thanks to the weather ships. But when peace came, the ships, which cost a lot of money, were brought in, and we were back again to the old system of Iceland and the Azores plus guesswork. World Civil Aviation thought this a bad thing and maintained that the Atlantic route could not be run without proper meteorological reports, z

13 Weather Ships So now the 13 nations involved on the Atlantic air route have got together and have agreed to share the cost and the benefit of 13 weather ships spread out at key points in the North Atlantic. . * Since these ships are primarily for civil transatlantic flying, it is reasonable that the country using them most shall pay the biggest share into the kitty, so the United States and Canada —but mainly the United States—are going to maintain eight of the 13 stations. The United States agrees to this because shd is going to run about twoIhirds of the air services over the Atlantic and so she will use the ships most. xt . ... This will cost her something like £600,000 a year, to which Canada will also contribute. When thinking of cost we must remember that for each ship on station there will have to be one in reserve and possibly two, each with a crew of 100 or so men and a team of ‘‘met” experts. They wifi work m of three weeks each, arid they will be on pretty lonely jobs, especially tne one ship which is to be right in the middle of the North Atlantic • In the eastern waters, Britain is to maintain two ships, and that will cost her £160.000 a year. France will provide one, Holland and Belgium a joint one, and Norway and Sweden a joint one. Ip addition Denmark is putting down an expensive “met” chain on each side ‘ of southern Greenland: Portugal will work the Azores, and Eire is giving some money as well as maintaining her coastal stations.

Radar Devices The ships themselves will range from the coastguard-cutter size to a Liberty ship, and will be completely equipped—even down to radar devices for plotting balloons in the upper air. In addition they will have navigational aids on board for the benefit of the air pilots, and they will be ready to take search and rescue action, not only for aircraft but for ordinary shipping. The first four American ships are, it is understood, almost ready, apd the first British one will be out in a month or so; by next July the whole lot will be working. So, for* £160.000 a year Britain will get not only the aviation benefits, but continuous and complete graphs and charts of the Atlantic weather, that will AU in those big gaps which are the main cause of the present vague forecasts. BURMESE DELEGATES IN LONDON LONDON, January 12. The Burmese delegation has arrived in London, and talks on the future constitution of Burma will open at No. 10 Downing street to-morrow, when the delegation will be welcomed by the Prime Minister (Mr Attlee).