Home ›› 20 Feb 2023 ›› World Biz
Weather balloons play an important part in a vast, intricate global observation system, providing vital information for climate monitoring and forecasters, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Friday.
On the heels of recent news reports about Canada and the US shooting down several flying objects, including an alleged Chinese “spy balloon,” inside their borders, the UN agency said weather balloons provide just a tiny fraction of the millions of observations gathered worldwide daily, reports UNB.
On Thursday, US President Joe Biden made public remarks after days of speculation over three unmanned aerial objects shot down last weekend by the US military, saying that they were “most likely tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions.”
More than 50 satellites collect information from space, and about 400 aircraft operated by some 40 commercial companies gather input from the skies, the WMO said.
From the seas, about 400 moored buoys, 1,250 drifting buoys, and 7,300 ships provide help in addition to 10,000 automated and land-based observing stations across the planet.
The valuable information gathered contributes to computer forecast models, local data for meteorologists to make forecasts and predict storms, climate monitoring and data for research to better understand weather and climate processes.
