Green light for weather radar

16/10/2007

People across the North East are to get better flood warning and protection from the region’s first weather radar station.

Sunderland City Council has granted the Met Office, Northumbrian Water and the Environment Agency planning permission to install the weather station in High Moorsley, near Sunderland – one of the missing links in national radar coverage currently provided by 14 radars.

Work to construct the £1 million weather station will begin in February 2008 and take up to five months to complete.

At present the closest weather radar to the North East is in Lancashire.  Improved rainfall data from the North East’s radar will enable the Environment Agency to warn people in the North East of potential flooding more quickly and accurately reducing the risk of damage, distress and even loss of life. 

The data will also be used by Northumbrian Water to gain a better understanding of the impact of rainfall on its 17,000 km sewerage network from Berwick down to North Yorkshire and across to the Pennines.

The secure Northumbrian Water site at High Moorsley has been chosen for its central location in the region to provide the best possible record of rainfall.

Martin Ward, Radar Development Manager for the Met Office, said:  “The installation of the North East weather radar will enhance the quality of our weather observations in a region where we currently have limited coverage. It will help us to provide improved forecast services to the public, particularly advance warnings of severe weather events like those that have resulted in serious disruption in the UK over recent months.”

Colin Price, Northumbrian Water’s Technical Director, said:  “We welcome the decision to give the North East weather radar the go-ahead.  The radar, which will assist the region in tackling the challenges of climate change, will provide more detailed information to help with the planning, design and prioritisation of improvement work on the sewerage network.”

Jacqui Cotton from the Environment Agency said: “Data from the new radar will significantly improve our ability to predict when and where rain is likely to fall and enable us to provide more accurate and timely flood warnings for more than 70 communities at risk of flooding in the North East.”

During construction of the weather radar station it may be necessary to close the footpath from Moorsley Road leading to the Coalfield Way to allow safe access of machinery and materials onto the site. 

For further information people can log onto www.nwl.co.uk to download a copy of the North East weather radar information leaflet. 

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For further information contact Cara Hall, Northumbrian Water, on 0191 301 6720, Jacqui Cotton, Environment Agency, on 0113 231 2020 and Martin Ward, Met Office on 01392 885 516.