Metservice.com Beta

[tunster]

See here for information:

http://blog.metservice.com/2009/11/mets ... w-website/

The link is:

http://beta.metservice.com/

The more detailed regional forecasts for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin are available:

http://beta.metservice.com/rural/auckland
http://beta.metservice.com/rural/wellington
http://beta.metservice.com/rural/christchurch
http://beta.metservice.com/rural/dunedin

[Michael]

So the temperatures etc are updated each 10minutes rather than waiting 3 hours?

[Weetbicks]

Looks nice. I wish they would do more frequent and better rain radar images, something like they do in america perhaps - updated every 4 minutes, and being able to tie it into third party applications, overlay with map/terrain an so forth. The current rain radar maps seem so primitive and basically useless other than gaining a very general overview hour to hour.

[Tornado Tim]

They havent listened to the more radar frequency updates have they.
I give up..........

[Myself]

They havent listened to the more radar frequency updates have they.
I give up..........

You don't always get what you ask for!
So you just give up?

Maybe they decided that if they can sell it, why give it away for free? They have to make a profit, and the maintenance of radars has to be funded.

No one can deny that it would be nice to have this. But is there a convincing argument for public safety etc? I thought about that, and maybe not so much. The people who want these updates without paying are weather geeks and storm chasers.
People whose lives are on the line are already in the bush or out in their boats, and likely have been for days. An 8 min radar update is of no use to them.
The emergency services probably pay to get the most up-to-date imagery.

I mean, if storm chasing or geeking out on the weather (whatever we want to call it) are hobbies, and they are, then why should we get everything for free? All hobbies cost money. There's no real convincing reason for why we must have more up-to-date imagery. There's already plenty of people on here who have failed to recognise virga and sea clutter on radar imagery, so how many in joe-public would make the same mistakes? If you can't read radar accurately, then it's no better having an hourly image than a 8 minute image!

In the US they have much more severe weather, so maybe the arguments are stronger in favour of the public getting up to date free radar imagery (major tornadoes for example).

[Tornado Tim]

You don't always get what you ask for!
So you just give up?

I give up on asking, hahahahahaha

[jrj]

I'm just pleased that we now have a radar at Mahia

[Weetbicks]

I'd be more than happy to pay a monthly subscription for the radar service.

[Michael]

The new look is better and for the general public it should be a hit.Ofcourse we would like better radar but a Kaitaia radar to soon come would be better to get soon even with an hour update,so it has improved overall in my opinion.

[Tornado Tim]

I'd be more than happy to pay a monthly subscription for the radar service.

Depends on how much your willing to pay, if i am correct isnt it around $500 per month.
Most weather enthusiasts wont be able to pay that.

[Weetbicks]

oh, well no definitely not that much. During the wider storm season in the USA April thru August, I pay a subscription to http://www.radarlab.com for their radarlab HD, it's around $5 US a month and the best 5 bucks I've ever spent. That gets you full radar - about 10 different radar producs, lightning, storm tracks, hail size, wind, temps, roads, overlays for watches/warnings/advisories, even hooked into stormtracker network so you can follow chasers via GPS....... for $5. I know there are free ones out there like GRLevel3, but I prefer this as it is cross platform and you don't need to set it up.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Thanks, Tungster, for the preview of the new site rather than just 'throwing it upon us'.
I hate sudden change, just for the sake of it. I think I will be easlily be able to get used to it.
As far as the rain-radar goes, for a freebee, one hour is enough and if you want any more, pay for it.
I couldn't see the Rakaia radar and sattelite picture on the Christchurch site? I suppose it is there somewhere for instant lookage?

JohnGaul
NZThS

[spwill]

Myself wrote,

I mean, if storm chasing or geeking out on the weather (whatever we want to call it) are hobbies, and they are, then why should we get everything for free? All hobbies cost money. There's no real convincing reason for why we must have more up-to-date imagery.

It will help with the reporting of weather eg wind reports, hail size from those of us that like to follow the weather( stormchasing), this can be useful for MetService.
In USA stormchaser information helps save lives/ property with the reporting of funnel clouds /tornadoes etc.

[Manukau heads obs]

maybe for guys/gals out chasing on a day and can provide valuable first hand data back to Met service, they could be given a pass just for that day to MetConnect?
i.e a 2 way info flow thing

[jamie]

temporary passwords and logins for a day of strong storms?

[AndyWX]

As I see it there are several arguments for making available free of charge the data produced by Metservice's observing network. Firstly New Zealanders have paid to set it all up over the years and continue to do so. Secondly if anyone wants to set up a competion forecasting or weather product service then everyones on a level playing field. Thirdly by sharing meteorological information freely our ability to understand and predict the weather increases. A national meteorological observing network is very expensive to set up and run and would not be economically viable in a totaly commercial environment. This is why every country supports their weather network with taxpayer funds. If a country wants a meteorological network then the people have to pay for it. If thats the case then its only fair they have full access to the basic data produced by the network.

[pomem]

I'm just pleased that we now have a radar at Mahia

ditto!!

[tgsnoopy]

I'll be even happier when there is one in the BOP, I'm pleasantly surprised with the effect of the Mahia one to the images over us here in the BOP. Good stuff, lets hope more of them are online sooner rather than later.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I'll be even happier when there is one in the BOP, .

I'll be more happier when the Hokitika one is up and running

JohnGaul
NZThS

[tgsnoopy]

Useless Government needs to fund those quicker and get the images online in a timely manner.

[Richard]

How come the radar images on sky TV are updated every 15 mins but on the MS they are hourly??

[Manukau heads obs]

must be a contract system with sky, i.e user pays (sky subscribers)
or similar

[Richard]

Yep, must be A,but i still don't understand why the MS, given the fact that the radars are capable of giving readings every 15 min,don't provide it on there own website,just doesn't made sense to me.

When i want to view a current radar image/s,i certainty don't turn to the computer for it.

[Manukau heads obs]

if it was available on the web for free then that undermines the contract or similar with sky and sky subscribers

[Richard]

That would be true yes