Automatic weather station set up at Tuticorin Fisheries College

Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has set up an automatic weather station (AWS) in Tuticorin Fisheries College.

The station was established at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh on the Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI) premises.

V.K. Venkataramani, Dean, FCRI, said the intelligent data-logger of the AWS made precise meteorological data available through an ultra high frequency (UHF) wireless link, which would be useful for various fishing-related activities, water management and disaster management.He said gadgets in the automatic station such as rain gauge sensor, solar radiation sensor, wind direction sensor, barometer, relative humidity and atmosphere temperature senor would provide readings pertaining to sunshine duration, relative humidity in percentage and wind direction in degree.

Data on clouds, precipitation, temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind and visibility would help fisherfolk identify `safer zones' for fishing and return to the shore without running into rough weather.

Dr. Venkataramani said the recorded data would be computed and automatically transmitted to the ISRO station in Bangalore via Kalpana, an artificial satellite positioned over 74 degree East longitudinal line.

He said plans were in the offing to add more features to the AWS, which would help in forecasting productive fishing zones in the Gulf of Mannar.