Weather forecasts for the Irish Sea are expected to become more accurate following deployment of an offshore data buoy east of Lambay Island by the Marine Institute, writes Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent
The weather buoy is the second in a series of five planned for offshore waters by the Marine Institute, Met Eireann and the Department of the Marine and Natural Re sources. It was towed into position 20 nautical miles east of Lambay Island last week by the national research vessel, Celtic Voyager.
Information from the first buoy, called M1 and deployed 50 nautical miles west of the Aran Islands last November, is already being transmitted ashore. It is available on the Internet and on Met Eireann's weatherdial fax. Vital observations on wind direction and speed, air and sea surface temperature, wave height and period and atmospheric pressure are updated hourly.
Met Eireann says the buoy will give "unprecedented and valuable information about the marine environment" in the Irish Sea. It highlights the long-term benefits of continuous observations in relation to predicting extreme weather conditions. The Marine Institute data buoy website is www.marine.ie/databuoy