15-09-2020. Elsis TS signed a contract with the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service under the Ministry of the Environment (LHMT) for the renewal of the radiosounding equipment, the acquisition of radiosondes with aerological bladders, and the renewal of the radiosounding building.

Until now, the LHMT has been using the radiosounding equipment and probes installed in 2010 by ELSIS TS UAB and Vaisala Oyj, the manufacturer of radiosounding systems. The contract will upgrade the hardware of this system, including the latest version of the software. It will also include the refurbishment of the hydrogen building for the aerological bladders, both externally and internally, as well as the installation of a hydrogen gas supply system and the provision of a gas supply for a period of five years.

The radiosounding system measures atmospheric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction by means of a probe carried by a hydrogen inflated bladder. The upgrade will improve the quality of the services provided by LHMT. The aerological observations are used to produce LHMT’s meteorological forecasts. Radiosonde data increase the reliability of meteorological forecasts. The data obtained are also transmitted to the global/regional network of meteorological stations under international cooperation agreements.

The need for aerological observations (direct measurements of meteorological conditions in the troposphere and lower stratosphere) is specified in WMO Technical Regulation 1160 Annex 5.7, paragraphs 5.7.1, 5.7.4 (2019). Radiosonde data are used for forecasting of both Lithuanian and European numerical atmospheric models (field analysis, forecast quality assessment), for forecasting environmental pollution, for assessing long-range transboundary atmospheric pollutant transport, for atmospheric process studies, for aviation, etc. Without these data, forecasting of many natural and catastrophic events is very difficult or impossible. According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Meteorological Society, radiosonde information increases forecast accuracy by 15%.

The main suppliers of equipment are Vaisal Oyj (Finland).

The contract was concluded within the framework of the project ‘Upgrading of the Hydrological and Meteorological Observation Network’ No 05.1.1.1-APVA-V-004-01-0007, funded by the European Union Structural Funds.

The contract is worth more than EUR 357 000 excluding VAT and the work is scheduled to be completed by 31.12.2020.