Upgrade the radars?

[Vertigo]

Hey, seeing as the US is starting to upgrade its old NEXRAD system with something better, and assuming the funds might be in place, why see if we can purchase a decent system at bargain prices?

[Weather Watcher]

MetService is in the process of upgrading our radar network. In recent years, Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Invercargill radars have all been significantly upgraded, and New Plymouth was added to the network in mid May. There are also four more new radars coming in the next 3-4 years. These new ones will all be brand new C-band radars, and will utilise the latest technology.

[Vertigo]

ok, fair enough does this mean that in the future we might get some of the more exotic types of radar data such as VIL, and perhaps public access to near real-time data?

[TokWW]

HAHA! I think the Met Service needs to upgrade its hosting and bandwidth first!!!

[Willoughby]

ok, fair enough does this mean that in the future we might get some of the more exotic types of radar data such as VIL, and perhaps public access to near real-time data?

I can't see this happening in the near future as the MetService is a state-owned enterprise with quite the monopoly over New Zealand's official weather data. And even though it's publicly funded, the average weather watcher is pretty well locked out unless they pay inflated $$$ (in my opinion) for data services like 'My Weather Plus'.
For more data there would have to be pressure on the CCMAU or with Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Trevor Mallard

It also doesn't help things when the CEO of MetService is also the permanent designate representative of New Zealand with the WMO.

What's cool to see is the availability of personal weather stations popping up all over the country (I opened up mine since the only data that comes from Hamilton was a 3-hourly SYNOP, only available on the MetService site, still isn't being transmitted to the WMO due to a minimalistic approach towards the WMO annex guidelines!) and it's interesting to see MetService catching onto the idea with live weather & webcam data coming out of NZAA, NZNR and NZKL now on their respective city forecast pages.

HAHA! I think the Met Service needs to upgrade its hosting and bandwidth first!!!

Shouldn't be really an issue since they peer directly with the Wellington Internet Exchange, and peer alongside several ISPs as well as TradeMe, Niwa, VUW and the Govt sites.

[TonyT]

What he said.

[Myself]

I think the whole "monopoly" argument doesn't really work for this. Metservice is the only company in NZ that could legally provide aviation forecasts. Doesn't it also make sense that they should have the MoT contract? Why split the two? In my opinion, it's better that they are kept together.

[TonyT]

I think the whole "monopoly" argument doesn't really work for this. Metservice is the only company in NZ that could legally provide aviation forecasts. Doesn't it also make sense that they should have the MoT contract? Why split the two? In my opinion, it's better that they are kept together.

What does that have to do with any of the discussion so far? The discussion is (amongst other things) about whether or not radar data which is funded from the public purse should/could/will be made available to the public or not.

[Myself]

I think the whole "monopoly" argument doesn't really work for this. Metservice is the only company in NZ that could legally provide aviation forecasts. Doesn't it also make sense that they should have the MoT contract? Why split the two? In my opinion, it's better that they are kept together.

What does that have to do with any of the discussion so far? The discussion is (amongst other things) about whether or not radar data which is funded from the public purse should/could/will be made available to the public or not.

Yes, "amongst other things" was this:

I can't see this happening in the near future as the MetService is a state-owned enterprise with quite the monopoly over New Zealand's official weather data. And even though it's publicly funded, the average weather watcher is pretty well locked out unless they pay inflated $$$ (in my opinion) for data services like 'My Weather Plus'.
For more data there would have to be pressure on the CCMAU or with Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Trevor Mallard

It also doesn't help things when the CEO of MetService is also the permanent designate representative of New Zealand with the WMO.

Particularly the part I bolded, it's not a solvable issue IMO. Just, say, if Metservice ended up doing forecasts for all the airlines, and the MoT contract went to someone else- who would represent NZ on the WMO? No single body would have access to all different fields of meteorology if it were split up in such a way, and NZ would be at a disadvantage on the world stage.

[TonyT]

Particularly the part I bolded, it's not a solvable issue IMO. Just, say, if Metservice ended up doing forecasts for all the airlines, and the MoT contract went to someone else- who would represent NZ on the WMO? No single body would have access to all different fields of meteorology if it were split up in such a way, and NZ would be at a disadvantage on the world stage.

Why? How could it any more disadvantageous than it is now, if someone other than MetService CEO were our Permanent Representative. I can think of plenty of people well qualified to take on that role who are not current employees of commercial weather forecasters operating in this country.

[Myself]

Particularly the part I bolded, it's not a solvable issue IMO. Just, say, if Metservice ended up doing forecasts for all the airlines, and the MoT contract went to someone else- who would represent NZ on the WMO? No single body would have access to all different fields of meteorology if it were split up in such a way, and NZ would be at a disadvantage on the world stage.

Why? How could it any more disadvantageous than it is now, if someone other than MetService CEO were our Permanent Representative. I can think of plenty of people well qualified to take on that role who are not current employees of commercial weather forecasters operating in this country.

But really wouldn't it need to be someone actively involved in the forecasting business? In which case, if we had a situation where Metservice were doing airline stuff and Blue Skies had the MoT contract, whoever then went onto represent NZ at the WMO would be at a disadvantage. Say the Metservice CEO remained the representative, how could he be up to date with public forecasting methods if his company was not engaged in it on a daily basis? Or if someone from Blue Skies became the representative, how would they be up to date with what would be happening in the world of aviation forecasting?

[TonyT]

how could he be up to date with public forecasting methods if his company was not engaged in it on a daily basis?

A requirement of the role is to consult with stake holders, and also to report back to them. I cant see how a person outside of any commercial operation is incapable of doing these things. There are many examples in public life where a quango representative is deliberately chosen from outside of commercial operations (often from the world of academia) in order to avoid the potential for conflict of interest which might arise.