The
Solent channel runs between the Isle of Wight and the busy south coast ports of
Southampton and Portsmouth on the English mainland. Following a near collision of two
ships in the channel an offshore weather station, Bramblemet, was commissioned in
2004 to report weather conditions on the Bramble Bank which is out of visual range of the
local Harbour Master offices.
Bramblemet is equidistant between Cowes, Calshot and Hill
Head in the centre of the Solent. Every 5 minutes wind speed, wind direction,
temperature, barometric pressure and visibility data (using the digital VPF-710 visibility
sensor) is collected and transmitted back to the Hydrographer's office for dissemination
to port authorities and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute station at Hayling Island.
The data is also reported on the Bramblemet website www.bramblemet.co.uk (link opens in a new
window) which is updated at 5 minute intervals.
By necessity all the equipment used in the weather station needed to
be reliable, low maintenance and low powered to cope with the remote location and
sometimes harsh offshore environment.
There are three other weather stations in the Solent
channel although Bramblemet is the only one which measures visibility. For the location
and data from these other weather stations please see the following web sites :
www.chimet.co.uk
www.cambermet.co.uk
www.sotonmet.co.uk
(these links open in a new window) |
