UPPER-AIR DATA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27040, 26 March 1949, Page 8

UPPER-AIR DATA

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE AT INVERCARGILL ~

INTERNATIONAL ASPECT PA INVERCARGILL, Mar. '25 Tenders are expected to be called soon by the Ministry of Works for the erection of buildings at the Invercargill airport to house equipment for the meteorological service. The equipment will be a microwave radar set and a Friez radiosonde set. Some of the aerial structure for the equipment is already on the field. The radar set will be similar to the microwave sets used during the war for aircraft and surface vessel detection. The set has been constructed by the Dominion Physical Laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research mainly from surplus war material. It is at present in Wellington. When completed and in operation, the new Invercargill meteorological station will take on an internatiqnal aspect. Upper-air information obtainedfrom the radiosonde set and the radar set will be representative of a wide area and will provide data of the utmost importance to modern forecasters. Stations of the type are placed at various sites throughout the world and Invercargill will be part of a world-wide international network of upper-air stations. Besides supplying the immediate needs of forecasters within New Zealand, Invercargill will also supply information to the International Meteorological Organisation, whose members will use the data for research into forecasting for future global flying at high altitudes, and climatologists for research into the world cycle of seasonal changes.