WEATHER REPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19833, 31 December 1927, Page 10

WEATHER REPORTS.

ADVICES TO MARINERS. IMPROVEMENTS IN SERVICE. UTILISATION OF WIRELESS* [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. 3 s WELLINGTON, Friday. Great advainces have been made in most i parts of the world in the provision of s meteorological information to navigators in recent years, said Dr. Kidson, director • of the meteorological office, to-day. This r has been made possiblo by tho' develop- ■ ment of wireless telegraphy, of which* > free use is made in Europe. The services > for mariners have become highly organ- ' ised and Great Britain has naturally led • in their development. ! "Marine meteorology has for many ' years been allocated to a separate division ' of the London Meteorological Office," said Dr. Kidson. "The superintendent of the division is always a practical sailor, who sees to it not only that the mariner receives the meteorological information that he wants, but a'so that :it is presented in a form in which he can understand it aitd that ho is not burdened with more than he can absorb or make use of. Twice daily weather reports from 12 stations, covering an area including tho British Isles and Iceland, are broad'J cast in a simple code from the British Air Ministry. The reports are accomE panied by a forecast and are based on j 5 observations at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Greenr wich mean time respectively. 3 t Observations by Ship:f. j "Ships are equipped by the Meteoro- J logical office with meteorological instruments and make observations at the same times. These observations are broadcast by each vessel i to tho Meteorological Office and other ships, the times being arranged so that there is no interference. Tho officers on the vessel later pick up and chart the broadcast land reports and their own and those of other vessels, plot them on a f prepared chart and then drawn the isobars as is done in a meteorological office. x "The reports include the reading of the 1 barometer and its tendency (whether 1 rising or falling, etc.), wind direction and 1 force, temperature, weather and visibility. Tho visibility observation!! aro est pecially valuable, since they enable a 3 ship's captain to tell whether he is likely 1 to meet fog, and so forth. For all this work the Meteorological Office supplies compact forms with instructions clearly printed on them. The Marine Division issues also a monthly periodical called the Marine Observer. This journal contains notices of any changes in the regulations governing the issue of reports, informative articles on meteorological, and allied subjects and contributions from seagoing oif.cers on interesting phenomena which have come under their observation. It is designed to develop an esprit de corps among seamen to keep alive their interest iu meteorology and assist them in making the utmost use of the information of which they themselves collect so important a part. Charts oi Winds and Currents. " One of tho oldest activities of the marine division is the preparation of monthly charts of the various; oceans showing the prevailing winds and currents, the localities in which iico is .to bo feared, tho prevalence of fog, the tracks of storms, rules for avoiding the severest portions cf tropical cyclones, and much information of a general, nature. This may be called tho climatology of the oceans With the advent of wireless, however, it became possible to give the sailor information regarding tho day-to-day changes of the weather, so that he I .-lift, not have to rely as of old solely on j own observations and weather wisr dcm. j ' " Tho first development was to collect weather reports from ships so that the ' area covered by the daily weather chart would bo extended and the accuracy of . forecasts increased. Next the forecasts were broadcast for the benefit of ships, i The most recent development is to provide material whereby a commander of a vessel can have his own weather-chart prepared and so supplement the forecast of the meteorologist ashore. With his weather chart before him he is able to understand the reasons for the official forecast, to follow intelligently the subsequent changes in his weather and to allow for the effect of his change of position as ho steams along on the weather ho will experience. Questions of space ' if nothing else would prevent the meteorologist from putting all this matter into the forecast, even wero His knowledge complete and his ability to forecast perfect. In fact the mariner in European waters is now making the best possible use of the official forecast. -