Many people think of IoT weather stations for collecting meteorological data. Their functionality is far larger than you might initially imagine. Real-time information about weather, soil and temperature, plus the trending patterns in your local area have wider applications.
Beekeepers use IoT weather stations to monitor microclimates around hives. Changes in temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure can predict swarming. Temperature changes the behavior of bees, so in winter it is just as important to track local environmental conditions and microclimate around the hives.
Bridges and highways use IoT weather stations to track temperature fluctuations that cause expansion and contraction in concrete and steel. Weather monitoring plus seismic tremor sensors and soil temperature information gives an operations center local information across a traffic network. Wind sensors help analyze stress on taller and longer bridges.
Weather monitoring on oil and gas platforms works in a similar way by aggregating trend and real time data from multiple sensor arrays. Ports and offshore wind farms use IoT weather stations to monitor wind conditions, wave height, and atmospheric pressure for safe docking or maintenance scheduling.
Solar farms use IoT weather data to track sunlight intensity and cloud cover to adjust panel angles or predict dips in energy production. This can also be useful for off-grid installations managing battery storage. For remote installations LoRa or NB-IoT can transmit weather data to cloud servers automating a larger field of panels.
Drones and light planes rely on IoT weather data for safe operation, especially in delivery or surveying applications where wind speed and direction matter. Localized weather data provides a closer real-time snapshot of conditions, aiding decision making. Local area risk analysis aids many outdoor use cases, such as ski resorts, surf schools, or forestry managers.
Statistical modelling, big data crunching and pattern forecasting is useful in many applications; from refuse collection to military maneuvers. You may not have considered how local weather data aids insurers to analyze claims related to storms, floods, and heatwaves. It seems a long way from real -time weather monitoring to insurance claims, but once you see the link it makes perfect sense.
