Drones offer alternative to balloons for weather research

Pre-programmed flights gather data at different altitudes then return to bases to recharge and download

W eather happens in the boundary layer, the atmosphere from ground level to a few thousand metres, but this can be difficult to study in detail: weather stations are too low, and aircraft are expensive. Instrumented weather balloons are the traditional solution, and thousands are released every day. But these are at the mercy of the wind and use irreplaceable helium.

Drones offer an alternative and the US company Meteomatics has taken the idea further with Meteobase , a base station on the ground with a drone that can be launched and recovered automatically. It carries out a pre-programmed flight, gathering data at different altitudes, then returns to recharge and download data which the Meteobase sends to researchers.

The base is highly weather resistant and keeps the drone at a comfortable temperature. It can send out one data-gathering mission a day, or multiple flights to monitor fog, icing, an advancing weather front, or other fast-changing conditions. Such a setup could potentially replace labour-intensive and expensive balloon launches.

Weather balloons carrying instruments have been in regular use since the 1930s. They have become part of popular culture, partly because they sometimes get mistaken for UFOs , or are used as a throwaway “explanation” for UFO sightings. Future flying saucer spotters may be equally well entertained by weather drones bearing flashing lights.