Plans for Weather Office
PA Wellington Weather information services will decline substantially if up to $4 million is not spent on improving computer facilities in the next one to two years, the Minister of Meterological Services, Mr Prebble, has been told. The Ministry of Transport briefing papers, prepared for the incoming Government, were released by Mr
Prebble. They say that the meterological service is modernising because of big changes in technology and techniques, increased demand for more sophisticated services and the cost of maintaining “historical and obso-
lete” manual methods was becoming excessive. “The rate of modernisation is slower than is desirable,” the papers say. “Traditionally the meteorological service has relied on many other agencies to make weather observations. “Trends towards automation in other agencies have removed personnel from many locations from which weather observations were
previously available,” say the papers. “Hence the maintenance of services to both the public and specialist industries, especially aviation, is becoming increasingly difficult.” Satellite data processing and numerical weather prediction had put a very heavy load on the six-year-old computer system at the Meterological Office in Kelbum.
Because of computer limitations, satellite data processing was restricted and all available information was neither processed nor used. The weather forecasting computer model was about 15 years out of date.
“If further enhanced computer facilites cannot be made available within the next one to two years, a substantial decline in weather services will result due to excessive mainten- / ance of ageing equipment and the inability of the service to provide information in a form that is necessary to match the increasingly sophisticated requirements of industries and the public.
“The total cost of enhancement is estimated to be $3.5 million to $4 million,” say the papers. The briefing papers said the meterological service had the ability to make greater use of satellite information to provide data such as sea temperatures to fishermen.
It also had the ability to use more sophisticated models in weather forecasting, but was unable to do so due to computer limitations. “The service had hoped to be able to install additional computer facilities before now, but approval has not yet been obtained,” say the papers.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19841105.2.108
Bibliographic details
Press, 5 November 1984, Page 20
Word Count
361Plans for Weather Office Press, 5 November 1984, Page 20
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.