Weather Station for Stormy Weather

Storm Chaser designed

When one employee at Barani Design, an avid storm chaser, decided to design a portable professional weather station to measure in the eye of a storm, his managers asked "Are you sure that's a good idea? How will you get the weather station into the eye without risking your life?

He replied, "Just wait and see" and gave a big smile.  The result of his enthusiasm and hard work was a set of 4 professional grade wireless portable weather stations and another big smile when he finished. 

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Storm tested

A few weeks later after his technical feat was complete, the first video documentation of his weather station in action surfaced on youtube.

The weather station recorded ground winds in excess of 100 km/hr (60mph) and maximum rain intensity of 46mm/hr (1.9in/hr).

After 2 months of in field use, the weathers stations are going strong and making their way into the ever more unpredictable summer storms. Cooperation with the local meteorological institute started, as storm data from these weather stations has peaked the interest of researchers.

THE EQUIPMENT

Portable professional weather station used for extreme weather storm chasing. Foldable anemometer and rain gauge ensure compactness and quick deploment in the field.

Portable professional weather station used for extreme weather storm chasing. Foldable anemometer and rain gauge ensure compactness and quick deploment in the field.

PORTABLE WEATHER STATION FEATURES

  1. Wind speed and direction sensor - MeteoWind professional anemometer with a wind vane on a foldable stainless steel arm.
  2. Signalization Light - orange flashing light used to identify the location of the weather station during night deployments.
  3. Steel Frame - robust steel tube frame for weight and stability in high winds. Painted orange for daylight visibility.
  4. Radiation shield for sensors - in this application MeteoShield protects the temperature, humidity & pressure sensors not from the sun, but from driving rain, hail, splashing water, flying dust & dirt and other debris found flying in storms.
  5. Temperature, Pressure & Humidity sensor - a combined MeteoTemp sensor with professional grade temperature accuracy.
  6. Wireless data logger - professional EasyLogGSM data logger with internal SD card memory to keep data secure and retrievable if wireless transmission fails in a storm.
  7. Professional Rain Gauge - a foldable standard 200cm2 professional rain gauge for recording rain fall and intensity.
  8. Foldable metal stand - a quickly deployable metal stand with four feet for easy storage in a car and quick deployment in the field.
 

STORM CHASE LOGS 

courtesy of stormchasers.sk

COLORS of the night 

Getting in the right position in front of a storm is crucial for measurements. As a reward for for a risky night chase, an unbelievable night time rainbow fromed just under the stars.

Text: Deep night at the edge of Bratislava. City already sleeps. Suddenly the sky goes bright as day, as the storm complex reached its maximum power. Chasers are ready to catch it. 

Light´em up POSEIDON

The CG (cloud-to-ground) lightning strike resembling Poseidon's trident.  The gods were angry this night and it showed. 

NOTE: Cloud to ground lightning strikes actually start from the ground. Return lightning strokes form the trident in this picture.