Veriground has developed a network of portable, solar-powered weather stations that provide detailed weather reporting and forecasting wherever crops grow. Thanks to its partnership with meteoblue, Veriground's clients receive highly customised weather forecasts tailored to their specific locations.
Veriground's stations reliably report weather data from virtually anywhere with mobile service. If mobile service is available, the stations provide real-time updates on local weather conditions: meteoblue produces seven-day forecasts with the assistance of Veriground data. Veriground then distributes the reports and forecasts to station hosts and its clients, offering information essential for qualified decision-making. Farmers benefit by receiving real-time insights on weather conditions, regardless of their location. Agricultural businesses gain access to detailed weather data for specific sites. The value of Veriground stations extends even to engineering firms that can use the stations to gather historical weather data at potential development locations.
The accurate and timely weather forecasts produced by meteoblue, combined with Veriground's station data, provide valuable support to farmers and businesses alike:
- Farmers can plan irrigation, planting, weeding, pruning, and fertilising activities more effectively, improving crop yields through more informed decisions.
- Meteorological agencies, governmental organisations, and climate researchers can access reliable weather data for regions where such information was previously unavailable.
- Veriground's ground-based data complements satellite observations, enhancing the accuracy of weather models.
Addressing a global need
Before Veriground developed its innovative weather station network, weather data from agricultural regions was sparse and often outdated, especially in non-Western countries. Most weather stations were placed to meet aviation needs, leaving vast gaps in data for regions where crops grow. Some weather services tried to estimate conditions by interpolating between stations hundreds of kilometres apart, which resulted in significant inaccuracies. This issue was particularly severe in tropical regions, where the lack of weather data affected both large-scale agriculture and small farmers.
The collaboration between meteoblue and Veriground helps to address this gap by providing detailed, real-time forecasts based on reliable data from local stations. This partnership makes it possible to deliver accurate weather information, even in remote and equatorial regions where the weather can change rapidly over short distances.
Helping farmers large and small
Farmers, especially in emerging markets, often lack access to tailored weather forecasts, leading to inefficient use of resources such as seeds, fertilisers, and water. Veriground's weather stations, combined with the meteoblue forecasting capabilities, provide localised weather information that helps farmers optimise their activities. As the station network grows, Veriground and meteoblue aim to make this data accessible to every farmer via mobile services, social networks, community radio, and extension agents.
Additionally, Veriground's data serves larger farms and plantations. By maintaining a permanent weather record, farmers near Veriground stations can study long-term trends, assess the impacts of climate change, and make more informed decisions. This comprehensive data could also open the door to widespread crop insurance solutions for both large and small farms.
Reliable, comprehensive and prompt
Veriground's stations are designed to operate in remote areas for long periods without requiring frequent maintenance. They are resilient to weather conditions, insect infestations, and theft, and can preserve collected data even if mobile service is interrupted. This ensures the continuity of weather reports, which are essential for agricultural planning and research. The stations collect a wide range of data, including rainfall, temperature, pressure, humidity, sunlight, soil moisture, and more. In addition, meteoblue ensures the accuracy of the data and its integration into high-resolution forecasts.
Veriground's network of stations reports data hourly, and the servers confirm its completeness and accuracy before distributing it to subscribers. This seamless process ensures that farmers and businesses receive reliable data and forecasts, even in remote locations.
A trusted service network
Each Veriground station is part of a fully integrated and managed network, designed to provide reliable weather data with minimal user intervention. The stations connect to cloud servers through mobile towers, where the data undergoes error checking and validation. meteoblue contributes to this collaboration by integrating Veriground's data into its sophisticated global weather models, offering a comprehensive solution for farmers, businesses, and researchers.
Once validated, the data is made available to subscribers via charts, APIs, and other formats. The meteoblue advanced forecasting models then enhance the raw data, delivering accurate, location-specific forecasts to clients within hours of data collection.
Easily installed by local residents
Veriground stations are designed to be installed and maintained by local associates or contractors. The stations blend into the landscape, reducing the risk of theft, and only require minimal maintenance, such as annual cleaning. The involvement of meteoblue ensures that the collected data is consistently accurate and valuable for a wide range of users.
Future outlook
As Veriground continues to expand its weather station network across agricultural regions, meteoblue will play an essential role in providing highly accurate and localised weather forecasts to farmers, agribusinesses, and researchers.
Together, Veriground and meteoblue are creating a more resilient and sustainable future for global agriculture. With the right information, farmers can plan better, businesses can grow more efficiently, and communities can thrive in even the most challenging environments. The future holds immense potential as this collaboration continues to evolve, bringing cutting-edge weather data and forecasting to regions that need it the most.