"Ocean station" redirects here. For the light rail station in Macau, see Ocean station (Macau Light Rapid Transit).
A weather ship, or ocean station vessel, was a ship stationed in the ocean for surface and upper air meteorological observations for use in weather forecasting. They were primarily located in the north Atlantic and north Pacific oceans, reporting via radio. The vessels aided in search and rescue operations, supported transatlantic flights,[1][2][3] acted as research platforms for oceanographers, monitored marine pollution, and aided weather forecasting by weather forecasters and in computerized atmospheric models. Research vessels remain heavily used in oceanography, including physical oceanography and the integration of meteorological and climatological data in Earth system science.
The idea of a stationary weather ship was proposed as early as 1921 by Météo-France to help support shipping and the coming of transatlantic aviation. They were used during World War II but had no means of defense, which led to the loss of several ships and many lives. On the whole, the establishment of weather ships proved to be so useful during World War II for Europe and North America that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) established a global network of weather ships in 1948, with 13 to be supplied by Canada, the United States and some European countries. This number was eventually cut to nine. The agreement of the use of weather ships by the international community ended in 1985.
Weather ship observations proved to be helpful in wind and wave studies, as commercial shipping tended to avoid weather systems for safety reasons, whereas the weather ships did not. They were also helpful in monitoring storms at sea, such as tropical cyclones. Beginning in the 1970s, their role was largely superseded by cheaper weather buoys. The removal of a weather ship became a negative factor in forecasts leading up to the Great Storm of 1987. The last weather ship was Polarfront, known as weather station M ("Mike"), which was removed from operation on January 1, 2010. Weather observations from ships continue from a fleet of voluntary merchant vessels in routine commercial operation.
^Cite error: The named reference PM January 1948 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference cg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Mark Natola, ed. (2002). Boeing B-47 Stratojet. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-0764316708.
A weathership, or ocean station vessel, was a ship stationed in the ocean for surface and upper air meteorological observations for use in weather forecasting...
automated measurements are taken at least once an hour. Weather conditions out at sea are taken by ships and buoys, which measure slightly different meteorological...
weathership was Polarfront, known as weather station M ("Mike"), which was put out of operation on 1 January 2010. Weather observations from ships continue...
Lauenburg was a German weathership used in the early years of the Second World War to provide weather reports for German shipping, particularly German...
either chains, nylon, or buoyant polypropylene. With the decline of the weathership, they have taken a more primary role in measuring conditions over the...
used for recording and give output readings of various aspects of the weather. Weather stations typically have these following instruments: Thermometer for...
launchers from land vehicles as well as ships and aircraft (usually dropsondes in this case). In recent years weather balloons have also been used for scattering...
the collection of weather data at sea as a service to mariners. This was the forerunner of the modern Meteorological Office. All ship captains were tasked...
Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. She served as a supply ship, the weathership WBS 7 Sachsenwald and the vorpostenboot V 414 Sachsenwald. She was...
observations from ships, weather buoys, weather satellites, and numerical weather prediction have been used to diagnose and help forecast weather over the Earth's...
deployed for use as weatherships have fallen out of favor due to their high operating cost. Unmanned weather buoys replaced weatherships when they became...
included ships at sea and the weather stations at Valentia Observatory and Blacksod Point, in neutral Ireland; German use of weatherships also exposed...
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its...
Hussar V for Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1931, she later served as a weathership for the United States Coast Guard and United States Navy during World...
MS Polarfront was a Norwegian weathership located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It was the last remaining weathership in the world, maintained by the...
Weather modification is the act of intentionally manipulating or altering the weather. The most common form of weather modification is cloud seeding, which...
Gröschel. She served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II as the weathership WBS 3 Fritz Homann, WBS 4 Fritz Homann and the vorpostenboote Neptune...
An automatic weather station (AWS) is an automated version of the traditional weather station, either to save human labor or to enable measurements from...
Kehdingen was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine. She was converted to a weathership and entered service as WBS 6 Kehdingen in 1942. On 7 September, Kehdingen...
Freese was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine. She was converted to a weathership and was commissioned on 1 March as WBS 4 Hinrich Freese. Her complement...
built navigation and communication facilities, and provided rescue and weathership services in the area from 1941 through 1945. Earth's atmospheric circulation...
Hessen was a Kriegsmarine weathership that was built in 1939 as the sealer Sachsen. She was requisitioned in 1939 and served until 1945. Returned to her...
Montague, Michigan also claims to have the largest standard-design weather vane, being a ship and arrow which measures 48 feet (15 m) tall, with an arrow 26...