Wind patterns watered

Press, 1 February 1988, Page 31

Wind patterns watered

Christchurch meteorologists took to the air in the small hours recently to observe coastal weather patterns from a Friendship aeroplane. The exercise formed part of an analysis of southerly wind changes in the South Island by New Zealafid and Australian meteorologists who are hoping to improve accuracy in weather forecasts.

A research meteorologist at the Christchurch Weather Centre, Mr Gavin Fisher, said that the Ministry of Transport aircraft used in the experiment was equipped with instruments to measure temperature, wind pressure and other elements.

“♦The advantage of the

plane is that we can cover a lot of ground. We can observe the front and how it changes as it goes along the coast from a higher level.”

The meteorologists waited several weeks for a cold front to enable them to collect raw data for their “southerly change experiment,” code-named Souchex.

Using an aeroplane to analyse weather patterns was an ambitious experiment, which Mr Fisher did not believe had been tried before in New Zealand.

The meteorologists plan to make several more flights before the southerly change experiment ends in mid-Febru§ry.