Smart cities applications
- Environmental research - Understanding wind behaviour is essential for studying fire dynamics. While most fires move with the wind, plume-dominated fires can generate strong vertical plumes that begin to shape local weather themselves. These intense events can produce thunderclouds and, in rare cases, tornado-like effects. Researchers use wind data to better understand and predict these extreme behaviours.
- Infrastructure safety monitoring - Bridges require detailed wind monitoring, including horizontal and vertical components, to assess cable vibration, vehicle wind loading and potential structural twisting. A 3-axis anemometer provides the full wind profile needed for safe and continuous structural assessment.
- Urban air pollution monitoring - Black carbon, a key component of fine particulate pollution (PM2.5), comes from incomplete combustion in sources such as diesel engines, coal plants and wood burning. It has serious implications for public health and contributes to climate warming, making accurate environmental monitoring essential for urban planning and mitigation.
- Heat stress monitoring for safeguarding citizens and productivity - Urban populations face increasing health risks from extreme heat, especially older residents and people working outdoors. Heat stress also affects productivity, with forecasts suggesting labour capacity could drop by up to 20% in the hottest months by 2050. Extreme heat can disrupt cultural and sporting events, influencing performance, safety and event operations.
Application notes
- Advancing fire weather research: testing ultrasonic wind sensors in the field
- How heat stress monitoring can help protect citizens from risks of raising heatwaves
- MaxiMet weather stations integrate with Aethalometer® for accurate black carbon (PM2.5) pollution monitoring
- Monitoring Wind at the World’s Tallest Building: Gill WindSonic at the Burj Khalifa
- Solving smart city challenges with reliable weather intelligence
- Wind speed & direction measurement on bridges
