The alert costs money.
The reading behind it should be yours.
Reference weather measurement and WBGT heat stress monitoring across the public estate, so rest centres, warm spaces and health alerts respond to conditions measured locally rather than regionally.
Regional alerts, local buildings
Cold weather and heat health alerts are issued regionally and acted on locally. A council opens warm spaces, staffs rest centres and changes how buildings are run, and all of that costs money against a threshold that was crossed somewhere in the region.
The difference between the regional figure and the conditions at a particular building can be substantial, particularly in summer. Urban heat means a city centre and the surrounding countryside are not experiencing the same day.
Heat is also the part most often assessed as air temperature, when the index that working and welfare limits are actually written against is wet bulb globe temperature, which accounts for humidity, radiant heat and air movement.
Every public decision starts at a measurement point
Three views of the work public bodies do with measurement: observe and forecast, manage and regulate, warn and respond. From rainfall and rivers to bridges, flood infrastructure and the incident itself.
Observing station wind
A national network reports wind at the same height, the same way, for decades, and every change of instrument is a potential step in the record.
- WindObserver 75 heated, 316 stainless, IP66, no moving parts
- MetConnect One separable sensors, each sited at its own height
- WindSonic 75 0 to 75 m/s, 0.5 kg, low mast loading
Temperature, humidity and pressure
Air temperature, humidity and pressure underpin every forecast, frost warning and climate statistic, and they have to be measured at screen height, clear of the mast.
- MetConnect THP temperature 0.2 degrees C, humidity 1.5 percent RH, pressure accuracy 0.5 hPa
- MetConnect One Pt100 to IEC 60751 input for a reference thermometer
- MaxiMet GMX300 temperature, humidity and pressure, no wind
Rainfall intensity
Rainfall is the input to the flood model, the drought statistic and the drainage design, so a gauge that can block with debris puts the record at risk when it matters most.
- TruMet PW100 optical, 0 to 200 mm/hr, one pulse per 0.1 mm into an existing logger
- MetConnect One contact closure input for rainfall alongside the weather
- MaxiMet GMX603 integrated optical rainfall alongside the weather
Calibration and evidence
A regulator, an inquiry or a court can ask what was measured, when and how it was verified. That is a calibration question years before it is asked.
- UKAS-accredited air velocity calibration traceable certification for anemometers
- Multi-parameter calibration six parameters, equipment from any manufacturer
- Recalibration scheduling intervals, reminders and turnaround
Agricultural field stations
Frost, spraying and irrigation decisions are made field by field, on conditions that can differ sharply from the nearest regional station.
- MaxiMet GMX551 wind, T, H, P, solar and rainfall in one housing
- MaxiMet GMX501 adds solar radiation to wind, T, H and P
- MetConnect One analogue and Pt100 inputs for third-party instruments
Remote power and resilience
Most public monitoring sites have no mains, so solar, battery and a power budget decide what can be installed and whether it keeps reporting.
- MetConnect THP 5 to 30 V DC, less than 70 mA at 12 V DC
- MaxiMet GMX200 0.5 kg, single supply, minimal draw
- MaxiMet GMX301 solar radiation for a PV-powered site
Gauging station and telemetry
A gauging station is judged on the events it captured, not the years it sat quietly, and it has to report from somewhere with no mains and no visitor.
- MetConnect One SDI-12 v1.3 into an existing hydrometric logger
- MetConnect THP 5 to 30 V DC, under 70 mA at 12 V DC
- MaxiMet GMX400 temperature, humidity, pressure and rainfall
River level and flood warning
Flood warning lead time is the whole product, and it comes from level measurement that was already installed and already working.
- LevelPro capacitive level, no moving parts to silt up
- LevelSlick FEP coated for silty and debris-laden water
- TruMet PW100 rainfall intensity to 0 to 200 mm/hr alongside level
Coastal surge and tidal flooding
Surge combines tide, pressure and wind, so a coastal warning needs all three measured locally rather than two of them inferred.
- WindObserver 75 316 stainless, IP66, Lloyd’s Register Type Approved
- MetConnect THP pressure 300 to 1100 hPa, accuracy 0.5 hPa
- LevelPro water level with no moving parts in salt water
Bridge and exposed road wind
Bridge closures, speed restrictions and high-sided vehicle bans are set on wind measured at the structure, and the decision is questioned the moment traffic stops.
- WindObserver 75 heated, 316 stainless, IP66, no moving parts
- WindObserver 90 0 to 90 m/s for exposed estuary crossings
- WindUltra compact 2-axis, IP69k, for deck-level positions
Air quality and pollution monitoring
A pollution reading only tells a regulator where it came from when wind speed and direction are measured at the same site and the same time.
- WindSonic 60 0 to 60 m/s, economical across a network of sites
- MaxiMet GMX500 wind, temperature, humidity and pressure in one unit
- WindMaster Pro 3-axis to 32 Hz where dispersion and stability matter
Cold weather and winter planning
Gritting, warm spaces and cold weather alerts are all triggered on measured temperature, and they are all funded on the assumption the trigger is right.
- MetConnect THP Pt100 input for a surface temperature probe
- MaxiMet GMX400 temperature, humidity, pressure and rainfall
- WindSonic M heated, operating to -40 degrees C
Civic buildings and public estate
Public buildings become rest centres and reception centres, and their heating, ventilation and drainage are all somebody in an office deciding without data.
- MetConnect THP temperature 0.2 degrees C, humidity 1.5 percent RH
- MaxiMet GMX551 rooftop station with wind, T, H, P, solar and rainfall
- MaxiMet GMX300 temperature, humidity and pressure only
Heat alerts and public health
Heat health alerts and worker safety both rest on the same measurement, and a shaded enclosure reading is not what people are exposed to.
- MaxiMet GMX552 WBGT heat stress with wind, T, H and P, 1.29 kg, IP66
- MaxiMet GMX551 wind, T, H, P, solar and rainfall in one housing
- MetConnect THP reference temperature and humidity
Flood barriers and defences
A demountable defence has to be deployed before the peak, which means the decision is made on a measurement rather than on a look at the river.
- LevelPro continuous level upstream of the defence
- Blade position sensors non-contact position proving on gates and penstocks
- TruMet PW100 catchment rainfall intensity, no bucket to block
Sluice, gate and penstock position
A gate that is commanded shut has to prove it is shut, under water and in silt, with a sensor that does not wear every time it moves.
- Blade360 full 360 degree contactless position, IP67, sealed for temporary immersion (1 m for 30 min)
- Blade60 contactless linear position to 60 mm
- Blade Dual Output a second channel where redundancy is required
Flood pumping station machinery
A flood pump runs hard for a few days a year and sits idle in between, so gearbox and engine wear has to be caught before the event, not during it.
- WearDetect fine and coarse ferrous debris, water presence and oil temperature
- WearDetect with Display the same sensor with an integrated display
- Outputs 0-10 V, 4-20 mA, CANbus or Modbus RTU into telemetry
Wet well and sump level
Pump start and stop, overflow alarms and spill reporting all hang on the level in a wet well full of debris and rag.
- LevelSlick coated for dirty, viscous and conductive liquids
- LevelPro stainless steel, IP66 and IP68, 0-10 V or 4-20 mA, RS232 for configuration
- DD1615 level display where a local readout is needed
Mobile incident command
A command vehicle arrives with its own met capability because the nearest station is somewhere else and the incident is here.
- MaxiMet GMX551 wind, T, H, P, solar and rainfall on one mast
- MaxiMet GMX200 wind only, 0.5 kg, fastest to raise
- WindUltra compact 2-axis, IP69k, low power for vehicle mounting
Deployable met mast
A mast that takes twenty minutes to set up in weather is a mast that does not get set up.
- MaxiMet GMX200 one unit, one cable, one output string
- MetConnect One SDI-12, Modbus and NMEA 0183 into a logger
- WindSonic 60 0.5 kg, configured with the free MetSet software
Air ambulance and landing sites
A landing site is chosen in minutes and used at night, and the wind limit is checked where the aircraft is going rather than where the met station is.
- WindObserver 70 heated, IP66, 316 stainless, marine type approved
- MaxiMet GMX501 compact station for a hospital or fixed landing site
- WindSonic M heated, 0.9 kg, for a temporary pad-side reference
Fire ground and smoke plume
Where the smoke goes decides who is evacuated, and that is a wind direction question answered at the incident within the first few minutes.
- MaxiMet GMX200 wind only, 0.5 kg, raised in a minute
- WindMaster Pro 3-axis to 32 Hz where plume rise matters
- MaxiMet GMX500 wind, temperature, humidity and pressure
Hazardous release and dispersion
Plume modelling for a chemical release is only as good as the wind and stability data going into it, and the model is being run while people wait.
- WindMaster Pro 3-axis to 32 Hz for stability and dispersion
- MetConnect THP two analogue inputs for detection equipment
- WindObserver 75 a fixed reference at a COMAH or similar site
Water rescue and boat operations
Crews on the water need wind and conditions from the boat, on a platform where everything gets wet and nothing gets serviced mid-operation.
- WindUltra compact 2-axis, IP69k, built for wet mobile platforms
- MaxiMet GMX260 marine model with a 6-axis compass, IP66 and IP68
- MaxiMet GMX200 wind only, 0.5 kg, for a shore reference
Temporary events and crowd safety
Temporary structures, stages and marquees carry wind limits, and the decision to strike them is made by somebody who will be asked to justify it.
- WindSonic 75 0 to 75 m/s, 0.5 kg, for a temporary mast
- MaxiMet GMX200 wind only, quick to raise and configure
- WindObserver 90 0 to 90 m/s for an exposed site
Local measurement behind a regional trigger
A regional alert is the right instrument for a regional decision. Deciding which buildings to open, when to change a service and how to staff it is a local decision, and it benefits from a local measurement.
Urban heat is the clearest case. Dense built-up areas hold heat overnight in a way that open countryside does not, so the overnight minimum, which is the figure that matters most for vulnerable people, is different in the two places.
WBGT is the index to measure rather than air temperature, because it combines temperature, humidity, radiant heat and air movement into the single figure that heat strain guidance uses.
The rest of the estate benefits from the same station. Building management, grounds operations, flood response and event decisions all use the same conditions record, which is what makes one installation worth its cost.
WBGT rather than air temperature
Air temperature understates heat strain because it ignores humidity, radiant heat and air movement, and all three vary substantially across an urban estate.
MaxiMet provides WBGT measurement alongside wind, temperature, humidity, pressure, solar radiation and rainfall, so the heat assessment and the general conditions record come from the same unit.
The index the guidance actually uses
View heat stress measurementOne station, several responsibilities
A civic building weather station is difficult to justify for one purpose and easy to justify for six. Heat and cold response, building management, grounds maintenance, event decisions and flood awareness all draw on the same record.
MetConnect separates the sensors by height where a reference-quality record is wanted, and accepts third-party, analogue and Pt100 inputs so instruments already installed in the building can join the same station.
One installation, many users
View MetConnectPublic spending is scrutinised
Opening rest centres and warm spaces costs money, and the decisions are reviewed. A local conditions record supports both the decision to open and the decision not to, which is the harder one to defend.
The same record supports duty of care positions for outdoor staff, where heat stress limits are written against WBGT and applying them needs a measurement rather than a forecast.
Labcal is an independent UKAS-accredited laboratory operating to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, calibrating equipment from any manufacturer, which suits an estate instrumented across several departments and budgets.
What a public estate measures
Heat stress and the general conditions record from one unit, with reference-quality measurement where the estate keeps a formal record.
Conditions and heat
MaxiMet
All-in-one weather station, no moving parts
WBGT alongside wind, temperature, humidity, pressure, solar radiation and rainfall, from one unit on one cable.
MetConnect
Separable sensors for WMO-compliant siting
Separable sensors at defined heights, with third-party and Pt100 inputs bringing existing building instruments into the same record.
TruMet PW100
Infrared optical rain gauge
Optical rainfall measurement with no tipping mechanism to block on a roof nobody visits.
Buildings and grounds
WindSonic
Lightweight 2-axis ultrasonic anemometer
Lightweight ultrasonic measurement for roof and facade positions feeding building and grounds decisions.
WindMaster
3-axis ultrasonic anemometer
Three-axis measurement where wind comfort or ventilation performance is being assessed rather than monitored.
Level sensing
Capacitive liquid level sensors
Continuous level in attenuation tanks, water storage and plant, with no float to jam.
Where public estate measurement does the work
Cold weather response
Local measurement behind the decision to open and to staff civic buildings.
Vulnerable populations
WBGT measured where people are, including the overnight minimum in built-up areas.
Duty of care
Heat stress limits applied on measurement rather than on a regional forecast.
Building management
Conditions feeding ventilation, heating and outdoor activity decisions.
Operations
Wind and rainfall behind tree work, event and maintenance decisions.
Planning and review
A conditions record supporting both the response and the review of it.
UKAS-accredited calibration for six measurement parameters
Labcal is an independent UKAS-accredited calibration laboratory, Lab 0625, operating to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. It provides calibration across gas and air flow, air velocity, liquid flow, pressure, temperature and humidity.
For a public estate carrying anemometers, thermal probes, pressure instruments, thermometers, temperature and humidity probes and data loggers, often bought by different departments, one accredited laboratory keeps everything on a single traceable schedule.
Gas meters · Mass flow controllers · Dispensing systems
Anemometers · Pitot tubes · Thermal probes
Flow meters and sensors · Process control equipment
Gauges · Transducers · Manometers · Transmitters
Thermometers · Probes · Thermocouples · Data loggers
Hygrometers · Probes · Transmitters
Getting conditions into the systems the estate runs
A public estate runs building management systems, asset platforms and reporting tools that already exist, and a conditions measurement is only useful if it reaches them.
Gill supports environmental monitoring, industrial sensing, embedded electronics and systems integration, so local authorities, estates teams and systems suppliers can bring measurement into existing platforms.
Whether the requirement is Modbus into a building management system, a serial string into a reporting platform, SDI-12 into a logger, or analogue into an existing channel, Gill engineers can support integration from specification through commissioning.
Outputs and options
- Modbus RTU : Building management and estate systems
- SDI-12 : Loggers and telemetry
- 4-20 mA & 0-10 V : Existing analogue channels
- RS232 & RS485 : Serial links and displays
What the specification looks like in practice
Heat stress, not air temperature
Heat guidance is written against wet bulb globe temperature, which accounts for humidity, radiant heat and air movement.
Local rather than regional
Urban heat means a city centre and the surrounding countryside are not experiencing the same day, particularly overnight.
One station, several departments
Heat and cold response, building management, grounds, events and flood awareness all use the same record.
Existing instruments carried in
Third-party, analogue and Pt100 inputs bring building sensors into the same station.
Nothing to service on a roof
Ultrasonic wind measurement and optical rainfall remove the mechanisms that need clearing.
Defensible when spending is reviewed
Independent UKAS-accredited calibration across six parameters, for equipment from any manufacturer.
Questions about public estate and community resilience
Because the response is local. Deciding which buildings to open and how to staff them is a local decision, and conditions at a particular building can differ substantially from the regional figure.
Urban heat is the clearest case, because dense built-up areas hold heat overnight in a way open countryside does not.
Because wet bulb globe temperature combines temperature, humidity, radiant heat and air movement into the index that heat strain guidance and working limits are written against.
That is usually what makes it worth installing. Heat and cold response, building management, grounds operations, event decisions and flood awareness can all draw on the same conditions record.
MetConnect accepts third-party, analogue and Pt100 inputs, so instruments already installed in a building can join the same station rather than a separate system.
Generally yes. The sensors provide Modbus RTU, analogue and serial outputs, and the engineering team can advise on the interface a particular BMS expects.
Yes. Labcal is an independent UKAS-accredited calibration laboratory, Lab 0625, operating to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, calibrating equipment from any manufacturer across gas and air flow, air velocity, liquid flow, pressure, temperature and humidity.
Speak to our team
Tell us what you need to measure, where and under what conditions. We’ll help you work out the appropriate approach.
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