What Is a Weather Sensor?
A Weather Sensor refers to various sensors used to understand meteorological conditions. The fundamental six parameters for weather observation include wind direction, wind speed, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity.
Weather sensors are installed at airports and their surroundings, to ensure the safe operation of aircraft, and assess whether a flight is feasible. If flight operations are possible, these sensors provide data to determine how to plan the flight.
Specifically crucial for aircraft during takeoff and landing, sensors are used to measure crosswind strength, visibility, and cloud base height.
Moreover, the WEATHER-Eye Consortium, focusing on the defense against weather impacts, is developing technologies for safer takeoffs and landings of aircraft. This includes snow and ice detection technology for runways and technology to predict the risk of lightning strikes. The development involves sensors to detect snow and ice on runways and sensors to predict the risk of lightning strikes on aircraft.
Uses of Weather Sensor
Airports and aviation weather stations around the world use weather sensors installed at airports to collect essential meteorological information for aircraft operations. The gathered weather data is announced as an hourly aerodrome routine weather report.
Pilots of airlines, flight planners, and air traffic controllers at airports safely guide aircraft for takeoff and landing while referring to the aerodrome routine weather report.
This aerodrome routine weather report is published in a weather report format based on the internationally established format known as the Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR), designed for understanding by pilots worldwide.
Furthermore, data from weather sensors is utilized in forecasting the local weather around airports. This forecast is published in a weather report format known as the Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF), specifically designed for operational airports.