What Is an Automated Weather Observation System?
An automated weather observation system (AWOS) is a piece of equipment that can automatically collect weather-related data, such as wind speed, rainfall, temperature, humidity, and wind direction. By installing sensors capable of measuring multiple items onsite, observations that were previously conducted by a manned system can now be conducted unmanned.
Automated weather observation systems are widely used by fire departments, local governments, industrial fields such as factories and construction sites, and research institutes. Not only weather data related to rain and wind, but also those with webcams have been developed.
Off-the-shelf products are also available, but many can be custom made to suit the user’s application.
Uses for Automated Weather Observation Systems
Automated weather observation systems are used in all kinds of situations because they combine multiple weather observation sensors and can be operated unattended. They are used in agriculture and research institutes for the purpose of monitoring weather data itself, in fire departments and local governments for disaster prevention, such as monitoring rivers and coastlines, and in monitoring rainfall and wind speed for the purpose of preventing traffic accidents.
Principle of Automated Weather Observation Systems
An automated weather observation system consists of a sensor for weather observation, a data logger for storing the acquired data, and communication equipment.
To enable observation in environments where it is difficult to secure a power source, efforts have been made to reduce the power consumption of Data Loggers and to support battery power sources. The methods and principles of observing temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc. in weather observation systems differ for each item.
Sensors for each item are selected and combined as necessary, and installed together with a recorder and power supply. Data output methods also vary. Some sensors store data directly in the main unit, others issue alarms in response to the data, and some models have communication functions and can automatically upload data to the cloud.
In recent years, local weather observation has become increasingly necessary due to global warming and frequent extreme weather events. The range of choice has expanded from simple, cost-saving devices that combine sensors to highly accurate, robust, high-performance devices, which has lowered the hurdle to obtaining weather observation data and brought important data in operations for agricultural facilities, local governments, and others.