Provision of a LiDAR solution for wind monitoring

The Met Office provide weather forecasting and related services in the Falkland Islands, which are relied upon for the optimal operation of RAF Mount Pleasant airfield. A key weather-related challenge for the operation of the airfield is down-slope wind effects (more commonly referred to as Rotors).

At present, a lack of observational data, model weaknesses in capturing inversion height and intensity, and potential severity of lee-wave events all coincide to make rotor events a well-recognised hazard, when combined with a lack of suitable diversion options for air-traffic. Because of this, the Met Office has investigated ways to better support the management of the airfield during, and around, Rotor events; with the aim of identifying more windows of opportunity that the airfield operator can exploit to support operations and activity.

We believe that the best way to achieve this is to improve our remote sensing capabilities at the airfield, specifically using Doppler LiDAR technology. We therefore require a Doppler LiDAR solution that complies with the specifications set out in the tender documentation.

The aim of this procurement is therefore to improve our ability to detect rotor effects in real time, which might allow us to assign an objective quantification of the severity of the turbulence. This could improve the advice provided to the airfield operator, potentially giving them sufficient confidence to make real-time airfield management decisions based on this advice.