On the ball to tackle climate change

01/08/2008

Environment minister, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, is to learn about the region’s newest aid in the battle against flooding and climate change.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be one of the first to see the North East’s weather radar, which has taken three months to construct, and will provide reliable and timely weather forecasts and enable more accurate flood warnings to be given to people in the region.

Reporters and photographers are also invited to see the weather radar, along with Hilary Benn, on Monday, August 4 2008 at Moorsley Road, High Moorsley, (near Pittington), Sunderland, at 3.45pm (we will meet in the car park).  Please notify Cara Hall at Northumbrian Water if you are planning to attend on 0191 301 6720.

Severe flooding in recent years and the effect of climate change prompted the Met Office, Northumbrian Water and the Environment Agency to install the £1 million radar, which is one of the missing links in national radar coverage.  The weather radar is being constructed by Durham based Lumsden & Carroll Construction Limited which is part of the Esh Group.

A 6.2 metre diameter cream ball (radome), made from double-skinned fibre glass with a foam centre, will protect the ‘eyes and ears’ of the radar and will be raised off the ground by an 11 metre galvanised steel tower.  The weather radar is still to be connected to the central computer and will provide live data later this year.

The radar will constantly send and receive signals which will measure where and how hard it is raining and how fast it is moving.  This will help evaluate the likelihood of flooding.

Northumbrian Water’s secure High Moorsley site has been chosen for its central location in the North East which is ideally located to provide excellent radar coverage of the major urban areas including those most vulnerable to flooding.  Surveys have been carried out and confirm that the weather radar poses no risk to health or the environment.

Rob Varley, Director of Government Business for the Met Office, said:  “This new radar represents an important step in collaborative ventures for us, particularly with utility companies.  If we are to deliver improved warnings of severe weather we need improvements of this sort to our observations network.”

Graham Neave, Northumbrian Water’s Operations Director, said:  “Northumbrian Water is committed to reducing the risk of flooding for customers.  An essential part of this is having access to information to understand how our vast 16,000 km sewerage network copes in different weather conditions.  The new weather radar will provide detailed information and help us better plan and prioritise flood alleviation work.”

Environment Agency’s Area Flood Risk Manager, Ian Hodge, said: “Recent flooding in the North East has highlighted the importance of having the best available data to forecast where and when rain will fall.  

“The new weather radar will provide the Environment Agency with significant improvements to our flood forecasting capabilities, allowing more accurate and timely flood warnings for communities at risk in the North East.

“It also provides a good example of private and public sector organisations working together to reduce flood risk."

Site Agent, Alan Croft, of Lumsden & Carroll Construction Limited, which has constructed the weather radar, said:  “This has been a really interesting contract.  It’s not every day you construct a weather radar!  A range of specialists from across Europe have been involved, so the work has required our careful project management to ensure its completion on time and to budget.  We’re delighted to confirm it is on schedule.”

ends

For further information and to arrange interviews contact Cara Hall, Northumbrian Water, on 0191 301 6720, Stuart Brennan, the Environment Agency, on 0113 231 2381, Sarah Holland, the Met Office, on 01392 884 063 or Karen Humble, Lumsden & Carroll Construction Limited, on 01207 529 111.