Britain First in Plan for Weather Ships in Atlantic

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 August 1947, Page 5

Britain First in Plan for Weather Ships in Atlantic

(N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) Reed. 8 p.m. London, Aug. 4

Britain is first in the field witli a weather ship for gathering meteorological data in the Atlantic.

Under a recent agreement ten nations are co-operating in the provision of thirteen weather ships, to be stationed in various parts of the Atlantic at fixed points. They will make upper air observations and send out radio reports at regular intervals. They will also provide navigational aids for aircraft in diffieul-

lies and will be prepared to assist in rescue work.

The ships will be painted a conspicuous yellow so that an aircraft in distress could alight on the sea near at hand.

Britain is providing four ships, the first of which is now ready for sailing. She was formerly a Flower class corvette. She has been renamed Weather Observer. Two will always be at theif stations while the others will be in harbour.

One station will be roughly 250 miles south of Iceland and the other 3(10 miles west of .Ireland. Altogether there will be 26 ships and half of them will be at their stations simultaneously.

The United States will provide seven ships and France one. The remainder will be provided jointly by Canada and the United States, Belgium, Holland and the United Kingdom, and Norway and Sweden. Normally the ships will spend 27 days at sea and 15 in port