Mon, 26 Jul 2010 1:35p.m.
By Josh Heslop
New Zealand can already boast the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere. Now we can also claim the most powerful computer south of the equator. Geeks rejoice!! NZ is on top!
The Fitzroy Computer is the new pride and joy at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). It’s 100 times more powerful than the previous computer and can make up to 34 trillion calculations per second.
But what does that mean for weather predicting in this country?
Well, the biggest advantage is the prediction of severe weather events rather than day-to-day forecasting. We’re talking major flooding, storms and climate change.
Lets face it, that’s the stuff we really need to know about! It’s all about surveying the current weather trends and calculating how they will affect conditions in the future.
And that’s something we need more of. While we might be complaining about the cold weather here, parts of the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing their hottest summer on record. New York City topped 37 degrees on two consecutive days, turning Central Park into a summer slumber.
Meanwhile, things were much more serious across Europe, with temperatures hitting at least 40 in Spain, Belgium and Germany. In Russia, 71 people lost their lives when they drowned in a bid to cool off in lakes and rivers.
Hurricane season is also up and running. In my last blog I wrote about the impending affects on the oil clean up in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Bonnie was the next off the rank, sending boats back to shore.
Then there's the ongoing flooding in China. Over 1000 people are dead or missing and a further 100,000 people have lost their homes. More torrential rain is forecast across many states.
Sometimes I think we forget the huge power of the weather. It’s a life giver and a life taker. With a bit of help from technology we can see which way it is going to turn and prepare ourselves for any changes.
The Fitzroy Computer has been described at the closest thing to a crystal ball. At $12.5 million, it’s an expensive crystal ball! But it is money well spent!