Hot stuff or cool news - TRC website has it all

The Taranaki Regional Council website has just got a lot cooler – or hotter.

Air temperature at selected sites is now available on the website, extending its range of live environmental data that already includes rainfall, wind direction and speed, river levels and flow, and soil moisture content and temperature.

Most of the data is automatically updated half-hourly, and can be seen at a glance on maps on the home page at www.trc.govt.nz. Users can use tabs above the map to select the type of data they want, then click on individual site icons for detailed information and graphs.

“We’re displaying the air temperature at seven sites at the moment, and this number will increase as equipment is installed at other sites,” says the Council’s Director-Environment Quality, Gary Bedford. “Sites are selected according to their suitability – for example, it would not be useful to monitor the air temperature at a site that is excessively shaded.”

Mr Bedford says the website’s live environmental data is among its most popular features. “The site metrics tell us many people look at the rainfall, wind and river data in particular, and the feedback from users is positive. The information is very useful for a wide range of purposes – agricultural, commercial or recreational.”

He says the Council is pleased to extend the service. “We know there are a lot of people interested in the temperature at different places in Taranaki, and I’m picking our data might be used to settle the occasional argument.”

The Council’s rainfall, air temperature and wind data is also automatically relayed to MetService, to help in preparation of weather forecasts for the region.

The Taranaki Regional Council website also displays latest results from the Council’s summertime monitoring of coastal and freshwater recreational bathing sites.