December 18, 2009. Mayaguez, Puerto Rico..
WeatherFlow, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM), and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) have teamed up via NOAA’s Interagency Oceanographic Observering System (IOOS) program to expand WeatherFlow’s national coastal mesonet. Today marked the completion of the last of twelve stations recently installed at important coastal locations throughout Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
These sites will provide real-time wind speed and direction, air temperature, and barometric pressure and can be expanded to collect additional data such as sea surface temperatures and other oceanic parameters. The data is available via all of WeatherFlow’s web-based services and its new WindAlert desktop and iPhone applications.
Among others, immediate end-users for this valuable new data stream include the National Hurricane Center, the National Weather Service’s San Juan Forecast Office, the United States Coast Guard, and researchers at both UPRM and UVI.In Puerto Rico, UPRM’s Dr. Luis Aponte has been a driving force in the establishment of this new network. Dr. Aponte’s research involves the behavior of extreme winds associated with tropical storms and their influence on the structural integrity of buildings. Others associated with the project include Drs. Julio Morell and Jorge Corredor of the Oceanography Department at UPRM. Dr. Morell is the Director of IOOS’ Caribbean Regional Association (CaRA), which is overseeing and funding this project.
In the Virgin Islands, Mr. Kevin Brown of UVI is integral to the operation of the sites in this region, while Dr. Nasseer Idrisi of UVI and Mr. Roy Watlington continue to provide guidance on the network and opportunities for ongoing expansion.
For more information on this project, contact Mr. Jay Titlow, Senior Meteorologist at WeatherFlow, 757-868-5362.