Environment Agencies build new technology into rain monitoring network!

As parts of England suffer from extreme weather conditions with rain and storm winds wreaking havoc over large swaths of the southern shires and counties it is appropriate indeed to share this item about a precipitation monitoring technology that performs particularly well during periods of high intensity rain.

Pluvio2

During recent trials conducted by the British Environment Agency (EA) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), in cooperation with the British Met Office, OTT Hydrometry’s Pluvio2 raingauge exceeded the target performance requirements of the assessment and over 100 units have now been purchased by the EA. As a result, the quality of monitoring data has been improved and the cost of running the more remote sites has been significantly reduced because site visits are only necessary once or twice per year, instead of quarterly, which is the normal requirement for tipping bucket raingauges.

The OTT Pluvio2 operates on a weighing measuring principle which ensures that it can measure precipitation accurately and reliably in all weather conditions, while requiring minimal maintenance.

The EA’s Dave Stewart has been responsible for the implementation of Pluvio2 into the Agency’s network. He says: “Initial results look promising; the Pluvio2 is proving to be very reliable, so we have been able to reduce the frequency with which we have to make site visits. This is particularly advantageous with remote sites where we are making considerable savings in time and travel; payback periods vary from almost immediate, up to several years.”