The application of meteorological information to industrial, business, or commercial problems. Generally, industrial meteorology is a branch of applied meteorology, which is the broad field where weather data, analyses, and forecasts are put to practical use. The term “private sector meteorology” has taken on the broader context of traditional industrial meteorology, expanding to include the provision of weather instrumentation/remote sensing devices, systems development and integration, and various consulting services to government and academia as well as value-added products and services to markets in industry (such as media, aviation, and utilities). Some areas in which industrial meteorology may be applied include environmental health and air-pollution control, weather modification, agricultural and forest management, and surface and air transportation.Aeronautical meteorology Agricultural meteorology Meteorological instrumentation Specific examples of the uses of industrial meteorology include many in the public sphere. For example, electric utilities need hourly predictions of temperature, humidity, and wind to estimate system load. In addition, they need to know when and where thunderstorms will impact their service area, so that crews can be deployed to minimize or correct disruptions to their transmission and distribution systems. Highway departments need to know when and where frozen precipitation will affect their service areas so that crews can be alerted, trucks loaded with sand and salt, and, if necessary, contractors hired to assist. Since a few degrees' change in temperature, or a slight change in intensity of snow or ice, determines the type of treatment required, early prediction and close monitoring of these parameters are critical. Agricultural enterprises, from farmers to cooperatives to food manufacturers, rely on precise weather information and forecasts. Weather is the single most important factor in determining crop growth and production. Thus, monitoring and prediction of drought, floods, heat waves, and freezes are of extreme importance.Weather forecasting and prediction Professionals involved with the meteorological aspects of air pollution are generally concerned with the atmospheric transport, distribution, transformation, and removal mechanisms of air pollutants. They are often called upon to evaluate the effectiveness of pollution control technologies or regulatory (policy) actions used to achieve and maintain air-quality goals. Air pollution |
