New SwellMap and WeatherMap released
The new SwellMap and WeatherMap websites have gone live! SwellMap is one of New Zealand’s most extensive and dedicated marine forecasting websites and was the country’s first marine forecast site dedicated to recreational users. However, after over 10 years of service to the recreational sector, the websites have finally been revamped with new and improved features and modelling.
Some improved modelling includes New Zealand’s first operational hydrodynamic modelling system that ingests observational data to improve forecasts for current velocities (a new feature to SwellMap!) and water temperatures. As New Zealand experiences more intense and prolonged Marine Heat Waves, modelling water temperatures is incredibly relevant.
The new sites also include multiple guidances from the Global Forecast System (GFS) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and will soon include MetService’s high-resolution atmospheric modelling from around New Zealand (down to 300 m resolution in some areas). Within the marine space, we continue to leverage the high-resolution forecasting off the back of MetOcean Solutions’ commercial services instead of relying on global scale models like most other free recreational marine forecasting sites.
The new SwellMap has maintained the familiar report layout, but now users can specify which model guidance (GFS or ECMWF they want to base their forecast on.
The new websites also make use of capabilities and products developed off the back of the Moana Project (a Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment funded research project), including displaying forecast and observational data as data tiles, allowing you to zoom in to your specific region and click anywhere in the mapped area to get specific values back for that site. While users will be able to pick their own site of interest in the new SwellMap, it relies on the resolution of the available model. A model’s resolution describes the grid size of a model (the smaller the grid size, the higher the resolution and, therefore, the higher the accuracy of the forecast). For example, when using a wave model to forecast the swell height or wave period for a point of interest, the site must be at least the same distance from the coastline as the model resolution. If you want to learn more about ocean modelling, click here.
SwellMap provides a forecasted rating system that informs users of the conditions for their chosen activity. In the above image, surfing conditions of the New Zealand North Island are rated from 0-10. User can now click on the map to generate a forecast for that specific location.
Being able to get a forecast when you want means that, in the marine space (SwellMap), you can get forecast data at those secret fishing or surfing sites (using the underlying bathymetry maps), while for the land-based forecasts (WeatherMap) you now no longer have to rely on a generic city or region forecast, but can get a forecast for your neighbourhood, street or even your own house!
Other relevant improvements include the addition of Chlorophyll-a (often sold as a premium service and used to target offshore fishing areas), cloud cover forecasts (great for understanding solar potential) and New Zealand Rain Radar. Additionally, the data tiles that display the mapped data have other functionality, including streamlined animations which brings a fresh look and feel to the sites.
Looks like It paid off to check the surf conditions on SwellMap (Picture: Rafael Soutelino)