Weather and environmental measurement specialist Vaisala has unveiled its new water vapor vertical profiler – the DA10 differential absorption lidar (DIAL) – that provides local forecasters with access to critical intelligence to predict severe weather.
Paul Melin, vice president of products and technologies at Vaisala, said, “DA10 is a game-changer in the industry because measuring water vapor has always been a manual, time-consuming and expensive process led by the observation community. Now, meteorological services gain access to local humidity observations around the clock with a calibration-free solution which is designed with synoptic observation networks in mind. DA10 allows them to provide more accurate and timely information and issue early warnings for local communities in advance of dangerous weather conditions, like thunderstorms and flash flooding.”
While globally coordinated upper-air observations obtain an overall picture of humidity patterns, the DA10 continuously measures water vapor within the boundary layer in any location and under any conditions. When combined with weather and climate modeling, the information can enhance nowcasting and forecasting to detect the most severe storms within the next 12 hours with enhanced reliability and accuracy.
Core features of the DA10 include:
- Advanced modeling and data assimilation which allow near real-time information for nowcasting and long-term modeling through numerical weather prediction (NWP).
- Autonomous, easy setup and use for localized forecasting. No operator is needed, and little to no maintenance is required.
- Uninterrupted and secure operation 24/7, keeping robust design and cyber and data security top of mind.
- Patented transmitter technology to deliver the industry’s first research-grade DIAL technology for operational networks.
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