Isle of Wight Weather Magazine (PREVIEW)

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Isle of Wight

magazine

December, 2014 ISSUE NO

001

WEATHER NEWS / PICTURE GALLERIES / WEBSITES / COMPETITIONS

UK BIG FREEZE NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR ■ SOLD OUT shops run out of eggs, bread and milk supplies ■ STONE COLD Man found sleeping inside returning pothole ■ CLOSED DOWN Met office predict chaos following 2cm of snow

LOW SALT SUPPLY “Replenishing stockpiles is proving challenging, especially for the Isle of Wight after salt supplies were depleted to tame icy roads last winter”

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NEWS

Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

INSIDE: Undercliff Drive

■ Met office upgrade to multi billion pound super computer Page 01 ■ Who should you be contacting in case of an emergency? Page 03 ■ Met office upgrade to multi billion pound computer Page 06

■ Who should you get in contact with in case of an emergency Page 09 ■ Met office upgrade to multi billion pound computer Page 11 ■ Met office upgrade to multi billion pound computer Page 21

ISLE OF WIGHT WEATHER MAGAZINE Box Number One 1 Manners View Isle of Wight PO30 5FA

email@vectisweather.com

Outcome of councillors’ meeting

Residents on Undercliff Drive have been waiting with baited breath for the outcome of a meeting between councillors and officers at County Hall. The meeting, which was due to start at 9am and then deferred until later in the day, was we’re told, set up to go through the legalities of options discussed at yesterday’s meeting with two Undercliff Drive residents. Volunteer re-built road closed by Island Roads As reported by OnTheWight, a new section of temporary road was recently built on Undercliff Drive by volunteers after residents have waited eight months for practical action from the council, following a landslip that left nine families landlocked. Four councillors and two senior officers from the council met with Gary Smedmore on Sunday afternoon to discuss a way forward, after the newly re-built road was closed by Island Roads on Friday

By Sally Perry www.onthewight.com

afternoon. The outcome of the meeting is that unadopting the road would take too long (18 months) and residents signing a waiver in order to use the road couldn’t happen because the council would still be liable. Residents were told that the issue with the water pipe would be sorted by Bill Murphy and the Island Roads would ensure that fuel is delivered to properties needing it for the winter.

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Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

NEWS

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£97m supercomputer makes UK world-leader in weather and climate science A new £97m Met Office supercomputer will cement the UK's position as a world leader in weather and climate prediction. The weather's volatility has long been a popular British conversation topic - but the Government's plans for a new £97m supercomputer unveiled today will cement the UK's position as a world leader in weather and climate prediction. This supercomputer will be 13 times more powerful than the current system used by the Met Office and will have 120,000 times more memory than a top-end smartphone. Enabling forecast updates every hour and the ability to provide very high detail weather information for precise geographical areas, the world-leading High Performance Computer (HPC) will help the UK to predict disruptive weather events such as flooding, strong winds, fog and heavy snowfall more effectively. The supercomputer's impressive computing power also opens up the potential for higher resolution models, which would have the ability to pinpoint more detail for small scale, high-impact weather. For example applying very high resolution (300m) models could help better determine the risk and timing of fog over airports. Scientists will also explore the benefits of adapting the resolution to improve UK winter forecasts out to months ahead, and assessing the specific regional impacts of climate change such as floods, droughts and heatwaves. The supercomputer's sophisticated forecasts are anticipated to deliver £2bn of socio-economic benefits to the UK by enabling better advance preparation and contingency plans to protect peoples' homes and businesses. Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said: "We are a

country fascinated by the weather, so it's no surprise that from early barometers to this weather supercomputer, we've always led the way in developing technology to predict the weather. "This £97m investment is a crucial part of the government's wider drive to make the UK the best place in the world to do science and research. By bringing world-class technology to the south west, we are also boosting regional investment and expertise, creating a stronger economy and fairer society." Universities, Science and Cities Minister Greg Clark said: "This is an investment that says the UK believes in science, putting us up there with the very best in the world enabled by technology that will make huge strides in weather and climate forecasting. "I have been eager to make this happen for some time, and I am confident that the supercomputer will make this nation more resilient and better prepared for high impact weather and boost the economy - improving lives up and down the country." The supercomputer, which will be based at the Met Office and Exeter Science Park, will be able to perform more than 16,000 trillion calculations per second, and at 140 tonnes, will weigh the equivalent of 11 double decker buses.

As one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world when fully installed, it will also be a catalyst for regional growth in the South West, supporting collaboration and partnerships between science, business and academia. High performance computing is an essential component of everything the Met Office does from daily forecasts to severe weather warnings, as well as climate change research and domestic and international collaborations. Met Office Chief Executive Rob Varley said: "We are very excited about this new investment in UK science. It will lead to a step change in weather forecasting and climate prediction and give us the capability to strengthen our collaborations with partners in the South West, UK and around the world. "The new supercomputer, together with improved observations, science and modelling, will deliver better forecasts and advice to support UK business, the public and government. It will help to make the UK more resilient to high impact weather and other environmental risks." The first phase of the supercomputer will be operational in September 2015 and the system will reach full capacity in 2017.

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SKYVIEW

Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

ClimeMET Professional Weather Station

ONLY £149.95

A new and exciting way of weather watching in the comfort of your own home but with an easy to use professional piece of equipment. The new CM2000 has the much loved wireless sensor suite which can be mounted anywhere in the garden.

ClimeMET Wireless Weather Station

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The ClimeMET Weather Station CM2016 is packed with features but simple to use making it the ideal system for weather enthusiasts looking for great value. Impressive range of weather information spans from temperature & humidity through to wind speed and storm warning alerts.

Cabled / Wireless Weather Station

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This professional remote weather station receives and displays an array of weather data. The new and updated WS2350 complete wireless or cabled weather station. Comes with the new wind cup anemometer and both serial & USB connections for ease of setup.

Wireless Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

ONLY £579.00

The Davis Vantage Pro 2 includes two components: the Integrated Sensor Suite (ISS) and the console This professional station displays and records barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind. It also gives calculated values such as wind chill.

Technoline Wireless Weather Station

ONLY £99.95

A new simple yet informative weather station from Technoline. The WS1600 is the ideal weather station for those looking for a low cost system with no direct connection to a PC. It has a wide range of features & includes wind, rain and temperature / humidity sensors.

Vantage vue Wireless Weather Station

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Sleek but tough - your outdoor sensor suite sets up in minutes and starts sending data wirelessly to your console. You'll see current weather conditions including indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, dew point and rainfall.

The Wireless Vantage Pro2 PLUS

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The Wireless Vantage Pro2 Plus weather station includes two additional sensors that are optional on the Vantage Pro2: the UV sensor and the solar radiation sensor. The addition of these sensors offers customers the option for more weather information

Vantage Pro2 with 24-Hour FARS

ONLY £815.00

The fan-aspirated DAV6153 combines passive shielding with a solarpowered fan that draws outside air in over the temperature and humidity sensors. Providing a much more accurate temperature reading than that available using passive shielding alone.

VIEW THE FULL RANGE OF WEATHER STATIONS ONLINE www.skyview.co.uk

Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

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6

NEWS

Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

GRTTING FLEET GEARS UP FOR WINTER Island Roads www.islandroads.com

The Island’s gritting fleet is now primed and ready for action as Island Roads enters the start of the winter maintenance period (November 1 to March 31). A 1,641-tonne stockpile of salt is ready for use and all the Island’s gritters – six frontline vehicles, one specialist gritter for smaller roads and four standby gritting lorries - have all been prepared for duty and crews familiarised with their gritting routes. The six frontline gritting lorries contribute to a salting route covering 369 kilometres of the Island’s highway network concentrating on major roads and those serving the Island’s main populated areas. The decision on whether to treat

the network is based on the Met Office weather forecasting service which provides localised information on the expected temperatures the likelihood of any precipitation prior to falling temperatures, possible hoar frost or snow. Road temperature readings are also taken from two weather stations on the island at Duxmore and Rowridge, while local knowledge and feedback also contributes on the daily decision on whether to treat the roads or not. The Isle of Wight Council and other partners such as the emergency services are informed of the daily decision on whether gritting is required. Once called upon to treat the

network, all the gritters can be monitored as to where they are on the network at any given time. Even the rates and spread of the salt and the speed of the vehicle can be checked. In the event of snow conditions, the gritter can also be fitted with snow ploughs to further enhance the capability of the winter fleet “Our winter maintenance programme is a major part of the PFI contract and a lot of preparation goes into ensuring we are ready to go into action as soon as we are required,” said Dave Wallis, Island Roads operations manager. “The amount of salt we have in the new winter maintenance depot at Stag Lane is enough to see us through an average winter. Last year, for example, which was pretty mild, we salted the network on 21 occasions and used a total of 600 tonnes of salt.” All of the main fleet of gritters have been named by local school children following a competition held by Island Roads and are currently involved in trial runs around the Island to ensure that the vehicle drivers are well prepared before the cold weather arrives. Mr Wallis added that gritting did not always ensure that treated roads would be completely fee of ice and reminded motorists that they should always drive in accordance with the prevailing conditions.

LIVE DATA PUBLISHED AT WWW.COWESWEATHER.CO.UK

Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

■ HOSPITAL St Mary's hospital NEWPORT 01983 000000 / 101

■ DOCTORS

■ POLICE St Mary's hospital NEWPORT 01983 000000 / 101 / 999

■ ROOFERS

■ ISLAND ROADS St Mary's hospital NEWPORT 01983 000000 / 101

■ BUILDERS

CONTACTS

■ IOW COUNCIL St Mary's hospital NEWPORT 01983 000000 / 101

■ GAS ENGINEERS

Cowes Medical Centre Newport Road COWES 01983 000000

Dower House Surgery NEWPORT 01983 000000

East Cowes Medical Centre Newport Road East Cowes 01983 000000

■ PHARMACYS

■ ELECTRICIANS

■ UTILITIES

■ PLUMBERS

Cowes Medical Centre Newport Road COWES 01983 000000

Dower House Surgery NEWPORT 01983 000000

East Cowes Medical Centre Newport Road East Cowes 01983 000000

■ LOCAL MEDIA

■ GLAZIERS

■ xxxxxxxxxx

■ GLAZIERS

On The Wight 01983 000000 www.onthewight.com email@onthewight.com

Isle of Wight Radio 01983 000000 www.iwradio.com email@iwradio.com

Isle of Wight County Press 01983 000000 www.iwcp.co.uk email@iwcp.co.uk

■ TRANSPORT

■ RECOVERY

■ PRIVATE HIRE

■ xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Islandline Trains 01983 000000 www.onthewight.com email@onthewight.com

Island Roads 01983 000000 www.onthewight.com email@onthewight.com

Red Funnel 01983 000000 www.iwradio.com email@iwradio.com

Wightlink 01983 000000 www.iwcp.co.uk email@iwcp.co.uk

Hovertravel 01983 000000 www.iwcp.co.uk email@iwcp.co.uk

Southern Vectis 01983 000000 www.iwcp.co.uk email@iwcp.co.uk

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8

NEWS

Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

Ryde Canoe Lake

Work begins on new pumping system

Getting ready for winter The MET Office www.metoffice.gov.uk

The new system is designed to prevent the canoe lake from flooding, protecting nearby premises and wildlife (photo courtesy Matthew Chatfield) The Isle of Wight Council has begun work on a scheme designed to reduce the risk of Ryde Canoe Lake overflowing in future, protecting nearby properties and businesses and the wildlife on the lake. A new automated pumping system is being installed which is designed to pump out water via the existing overflow pipe when it reaches a high level. Recently, when the canoe lake is at risk of overflowing, manual pumps have been hired in to protect surrounding premises. The current works will also clean the overflow pipe and remove any debris. Councillor Phil Jordan, Executive member for public protection, said: "Ryde Canoe Lake is an important part of the surface water drainage system in Ryde, but does have a history of flooding during extended periods of

Isle of Wight Council www.iwight.com adverse weather. It is important we take steps to prevent this happening further and protect the local area and premises from the risk of flooding. "The overflow pipe also needs some essential maintenance to ensure it is fully working. "Once installed, the system will measure the water level and detect when it needs lowering. The pump will then activate, reducing the water level. This will save considerable resources which can be used elsewhere." Work to install the new automated system is underway and should be completed by the end of October. North Walk is closed to traffic while the works continue, although pedestrian access is open via the path next to the canoe lake.

The Met Office will once again be hosting the 'Get Ready for Winter' web pages on behalf of a range of Government Departments and voluntary organisations. The pages offer advice and links to a range of information to help individuals, families and communities prepare for every aspect of the winter season. By taking simple steps, such as signing up to The Met Office's National Severe Weather Warning Service, members of the public can ensure they keep warm, healthy and safe this winter. The campaign will build on last year's initiative which saw thousands of people get the information they need to prepare for all weather conditions through the winter months. Oliver Letwin, Minister for Government Policy, said: "Building on the success of the 'Get Ready for Winter' initiative in previous years, government departments and our partners in the voluntary sector will again be providing advice that will help individuals, families and communities prepare and stay safe this winter. From tips on preparing your property and vehicle for adverse conditions, to the latest weather forecasts and warnings, the initiative will once more provide a one-stop shop for all winter weatherrelated information" Rob Varley, Met Office Chief Executive said: "As Britain's National Weather Service we are committed to ensuring the public get the best information and guidance to help them stay safe this winter.

Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

StrikeAlert Lightning Detector

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StrikeAlert is a small and affordable lightning detector that provides an early warning of approaching lightning strikes from as far away as 40 miles and lets you know if the storm is coming your way. Audible alarm sounds when there's a strike.

P5-3 Skyscan Lightning Detector

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The SkyScan P5-3 detects the presence of lightning/thunderstorm activity occurring within 40 miles of your location. The strike distances are indicated in four ranges: 0-3 miles (0-5 km), 3-8 miles (5-13 km), 8-20 miles (13-32 km) and 2040 miles (32-64 km).

Boltek LD250 Lightning Detector

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The LD-250 uses a small active antenna to receive the radio signals from lightning strikes. The direction-finding antenna is able to tell which direction the signal is coming from. The software measures the strength of the received signals to estimate distance.

Boltek Stormtracker

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With StormTracker you are actually detecting the lightning strikes. Storm Tracker has two alarms. Close Storm Alarm will activate if a thunderstorm is detected closer than a preset distance. Severe Storm Alarm activates if the number of lightning strikes per minute exceeds a preset limit.

SKYVIEW

93 5

StrikeAlert HD Lightning Detector

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Built on the trusted StrikeAlert technology, StrikeAlert HD is the first personal lightning detector with a graphical display that shows you the lightning strike distance (form 0 - 40 miles away) as well as a 1-hour storm trend and intensity.

Storm Pro2 Lightning Detector

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Storm Tracker uses the latest miniature electronic technology to detect the electromagnetic signature of the lightning strikes in thunderstorms to 130 miles, then ranges and tracks the storm. Once it's within 75 miles of you, Storm Pro2 provides a warning using one of four different methods

LD350 Long-Range Lightning Detector

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Boltek LD-350 puts a live lightning map on your laptop or desktop. Within milliseconds of a strike the detector beeps and your computer displays the strike location. The direction-finding antenna measures strike direction while the 350's receiver estimates distance from received signal strength.

NexStorm Software

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NexStorm seamlessly combines advanced analysis and display features with Internet integration making this application not only unique. This package is the most versatile and flexible software package for lightning detection that you will find on the market.

VIEW THE FULL RANGE OF DETECTORS ONLINE www.skyview.co.uk

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FEATURE

Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

WEATHER WEBSITE FOR THIS ISSUE

WEBSITE SCREENSHOT

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Isle of Wight Weather Magazine

NEWS

11 53

Electricity margins are tighter

but manageable, helped by new tools to balance system National Grid has published its 2014/15 Winter Outlook. The Outlook has been produced by National Grid in its role as electricity System Operator and as owner and operator of gas transmission infrastructure in Great Britain. The Outlook follows consultation with the energy industry, analysts, academics and energy policy experts. On gas, supplies are in a strong position this winter, with gas supplies, storage and network capacity well in excess of maximum expected demand. This year electricity margins have decreased compared to recent years, with the average cold spell (ACS) margin expected to be 4.1%. This is due to planned generator closures, breakdowns and new plant not coming online as quickly to replace them. In response, National Grid is finalising contracts with three power stations to provide additional reserve under Supplemental Balancing Reserve (SBR); these are Littlebrook, Rye House CCGT and Peterhead CCGT. Together with the Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR) that National Grid has already contracted, these will provide an

additional 1.1 GW of de-rated capacity to that assumed available in our base case, increasing the de-rated margin from 4.1% to 6.1%. Cordi O’Hara, Director of Market Operation, said: “The Winter Outlook Report provides the energy market with a snapshot of the potential gas and electricity picture for the coming winter. “Our analysis shows gas supplies to be in a strong position. Supply sources are diverse, network capacity is healthy and gas storage is well stocked.

“The electricity margin has decreased compared to recent years, but the outlook remains manageable and well within the reliability standard set by Government. “As System Operator, we have taken the sensible precaution to secure additional tools to bolster our response to tighter margins. “We will continue to keep a close watching brief across both electricity and gas throughout the winter so that we’re strongly placed to respond to any unanticipated events.”

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