Météorage

Lightning data for flood monitoring

Marc BonnetV.P. International

October, 2011

Météorage

Lightning data for flood monitoring

Marc BonnetV.P. International

October, 2011

2

► Company overview► Lightning data

Lightning phenomenon and detection principles Lightning data in Poland

► Applications for flood management Tools Examples of use in Civil Security applications

AgendaAgenda

3

► A private French Company created in 1987

► A subsidiary of Météo France (since 2001)

Based in Pau - France

►Our Know-how

Operation of the French Lightning Detection Network,

Development of lightning operating systems (CATS) and application software (Observation),

Production and marketing of lightning services for end-users in Europe (France, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, U.K.)

Engineering for Lightning Detection Network

Météorage is granted with the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Standard.

4

From Cloud …

What is lightning ?What is lightning ?

… to Electricity

A transient electrical discharge

Typically occurs in thunderstorms, but occasionally in snowstorms, sandstorms, and volcanoes

Types of Lightning• Cloud-to-ground• Intra-Cloud

70% of lightning remains in cloud

A complete lightning discharge is known as a flash

A flash is composed of multiple strokes, each one being producing a charge transfer to ground

5

Benefits of ground based lightning detection networks

Benefits of ground based lightning detection networks

National coverage : the full information is available anywhere within the territory

Data Quality: an homogeneous level of quality Reliability : the network is supervised and

maintained 24h/24 and 7d/7 Network effect when extending the coverage

Lightning information : Impact information (date, position, intensity,

polarity, accuracy) Statistics from a National Data Base

Centrally operated and nationally available end-user products:

Real time information Archived data No investment, no maintenance

Provide a different measure

A complement to radar, satellite or rain gauges

Acoustic

Optic

Electro-static

Electro-magnetic

Lightning in PolandLightning in Poland

Key points of lightning detection in Poland

► PERUN system (9 sensors) works operationally from 2002

►Data is archived continuously►Data is used by synoptic, aviation, power lines► 2010 upgrade of visualization software► 2011 network and system upgrade

preparations► System is owned by IMGW► IMGW has its own service crew maintaining

and administrating the system

Lightning data characteristics► PERUN system detects cloud-to-ground and

intra-cloud data► Information about polarity (positive, negative)

and about current intensity in discharge channel is available 6

Lightning in PolandLightning in Poland

►Lightning density map in Poland, for 2010

7

IMGW’s projects for lightning dataIMGW’s projects for lightning data► Institute of Meteorology and Water Management National

Research Institute is the largest provider of hydro - meteorological data, products and services on the Polish market

► IMGW has been developing its data and products for remote sensing of lightning using PERUN system for 10 years

► Using many years of experience and vast knowledge on meteorology, IMGW is looking for possibilities of wider use of lightning data in other sectors of the economy than currently exploited

► The IMGW's current goals are: public awareness of the significance of information on

lightning data and possible consequences of lightnings development of an early warning system of impending

lightning hazard improvement of distribution system of lightning data and

warnings reach the largest possible number of users

► Currently IMGW plans to cooperate in the development of appropriate tool to achieve those goals

8

9

Real time applicationsReal time applicationsObservation Jobs: An end user software designed to display, process and analyze lightning events in real time or from recorded data.

Lightning Alarm: A service designed to warn the end user when a storm approaches his region and help him apply ad hoc procedures

Message

DisplayArea under surveillance

10

Civil Security applicationsCivil Security applications

Lightning-rain correlationDocument by Prédict Montpellier

Flood crisis management:- Lightning is an early indicator for heavy rains

- Lightning provides a first level of alarm

- Good correlation with other type of data (radar,…)

Forest fire monitoring: Lightning information allows to prevent

fire extension

Planning for crew management

Site survey planification

Lightning layer on

customer GIS

11

Thank you for your attention,

question ?

Thank you for your attention,

question ?