real-time lightning alerts from the weather network
DESCRIPTION
The real time lightning alert project from The Weather Network (TWN), provides location specific alerts and details for the safety and wellbeing of the Canadian public. This presentation aims to review the key technology and infrastructure that enables real time public lightning alerts from TWN. How the lightning data is collected via TWN’s Lightning Detection Network sensors. How real time spatial data is processed via FME Server, what transformers were used, what were tried etc… How the lightning alerts are disseminated across a variety of platforms via Apache ActiveMQ. And finally, how this data is presented to the Canadian public via a variety of web, mobile and TV products.TRANSCRIPT
CONNECT. TRANSFORM. AUTOMATE.
We Interrupt your Regularly Scheduled Broadcast… Real Time Lightning Alerts From The Weather Network Mark Ireland, Safe Software, on behalf of Fiona Hatfield, GIS Developer @ The Weather Network
Lightning!
License: CC BY-SA 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffanddayna/3525003260/
Lightning!
! …is Dangerous ! 9-10 deaths, 164 injuries per year ! 4,000 forest fires ! 500-600 power outages (Manitoba)
! …is Frequent ! 2.34 million strikes per year (1.4 billion worldwide) ! 1 strike every three seconds during summer
Project Goals
! Public Alerts: ! Website ! TV ! Text/SMS and Email ! Mobile applications
! Also: ! Dynamic maps ! Interactive tools
“To provide information for the public’s safety and wellbeing”
Events, Alerts, and GIS
Event
Geo-fence
Notification
Action
Geo-fence Virtual Perimeter or Area of Interest
Spatial Predicates Relationships
Am I affected by the event (overlap)? Will I be (route intersection)?
Am I close to an event? Where is the nearest event?
Real-Time Processing
GIS
Real-Time Sensors
Pelmorex Lightning Detection Network
Setup ! Listen for a lightning strike (open TCP/IP port) ! Write to PostGIS ! Spatial Processing ! Other logic ! Generate customized JSON message ! Dispatch message via JMS Key Transformers
! TCPIPReceiver ! PointOnAreaOverlayer ! Tester ! JSONTemplater ! JMSSender
Implementation
Challenges ! High volumes of Real-time data ! Cross-platform development ! Short time frame (six months)
We benchmark tested
strikes a second (aka Stormageddon)
50,000
Products
! Website
Products
! Mobile
Next Products
! Dynamic Maps (website/TV) ! Lightning Alerts on all phone platforms ! Push notifications ! User selectable warnings
Thank You!
! Questions?
! For more information: ! Fiona Hatfield - [email protected] ! Pelmorex Media Inc. ! www.theweathernetwork.com