MetraWeather and TOA Pan-Oceanic Lightning Network

Oceanic Lightning

The first phase of the Oceanic Lightning program has seen the planned installation of TOA sensors in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Raoul Island, Samoa, American Samoa, Tokelau, and Tonga.

Data from these installation sites is combined with information from other TOA lightning sensor installation sites to form a true lightning detection network, with many sensors in the network detecting the same single lightning event thus introducing improved detection efficiency, location accuracy and redundancy to the network.

The data generated by the sensors will enable meteorological agencies in the islands to augment their public safety forecasting and improve their communities’ resilience to lightning strikes. Lightning data will also be of interest to commercial operators in the hospitality, mining, aviation and marine sectors.

The sensors are networked together to deliver quality near real-time lightning data of not only lightning activity in the vicinity of the host countries, but neighbouring countries and much wider afield via a low-bandwidth webpage that is accessed by the Pacific meteorological services

 

News and Media Links:

MetraWeather Site