GERMANTOWN, MD -- (MARKET WIRE) -- Feb 02, 2009 -- WeatherBug®, a leading provider of consumer and professional weather services and operator of the world's largest weather network, announced today enhanced capabilities to WeatherBug Club Safety. This comprehensive suite of solutions was developed to help club managers, golf professionals, and course superintendents respond to and handle weather-related risks, increase member and employee safety, improve operations and maximize turf management efforts.
Available immediately, WeatherBug Club Safety now includes lightning data from the WeatherBug Total Lightning Network (WTLN), the first integrated intracloud (IC), critical for advanced prediction of severe weather, and cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning detection network to be available on a nationwide basis.
Additionally, WeatherBug Club Safety offers enhanced mapping capabilities from its real-time weather visualization tool, StreamerRT, an advanced web-based platform that enables greater customization and improved visualization to quickly analyze existing and potential weather conditions.
"WeatherBug Club Safety integrates highly relevant, live, local weather information and alerts with unprecedented support both online and through the WeatherBug team of meteorologists to provide the best total picture of weather-related risks," said Frank McCathran, Director, WeatherBug Education, Media and Club Safety. "With our advancements in lightning prediction and detection and the new visualization solution, WeatherBug Club Safety improves risk management by providing up-to-the-second and accurate weather information for making critical decisions. Integrated weather intelligence is necessary to be able to respond to developing weather conditions before they have an impact on daily operations and member safety."
WTLN uses broadband frequency monitoring on a national scale to detect IC lightning. Monitoring the onset and development of IC lightning can improve warning times over traditional radar technology for many severe weather events, including dangerous tornadoes and downbursts. The detection of IC activity can also provide a 5-30 minute lead time for predicting dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning.
A fully interactive mapping platform, StreamerRT for Club Safety, enables easy pan/zoom capabilities of all weather data. This integrated weather visualization tool has full overlay capabilities for a complete picture of numerous weather attributes, including lightning threat and strikes, as well as provides enhanced radar imagery for smooth and clear images in a specific area/region.
Additionally, WeatherBug Club Safety includes a live GPS-enabled mobile weather alerting service, WeatherBug Protect, which can turn employees' phones into potentially life-saving devices. No matter where staff is located, they can receive critical weather alerts, including lightning alerting/notification via various methods. WeatherBug Protect is the first location-based mobile solution that proactively sends customized alerts such as lightning, high wind and heat index from the WeatherBug Network and the National Weather Service.
Developed in partnership with the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) and designed to provide specific benefits for golf professionals, course superintendents and club managers, WeatherBug Club Safety provides:
-- Increased Member & Employee Safety: localized severe weather alerts --
including lightning, high wind, heat index, and heavy precipitation --
available exclusively from WeatherBug's National Network of stations and
cameras, and the National Weather Service;
-- Enhanced Member Experience: live, local weather conditions, radar and
forecasts on club Web sites or in high-traffic areas as a resource for
members and the community;
-- Better Turf Management: customized precipitation and forecast
information for improved irrigation and turf management; including the most
timely and local weather information to analyze when applying chemicals,
implementing water conservation measures; establishing cart rules; or other
operational decisions to protect assets; and
-- Improved Operations & Event Management: 24x7 support from a team of
professional meteorologists for customized analysis and interpretation of
severe weather forecasts for special event planning and operational
support.
About WeatherBug
WeatherBug ( http://www.weatherbug.com and http://www.weatherbugprofessional.com) ensures that individuals, schools, businesses and government agencies receive the most precise live weather information; the most relevant weather reports; and the earliest weather warnings to safeguard property and lives and to plan with confidence. With an international network of weather sensors and cameras primarily based at neighborhood schools and public safety facilities across the U.S., WeatherBug maintains the largest exclusive weather network in the world. WeatherBug is a brand of AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. ( http://www.aws.com).
Media Contact: Mara Radis 301-250-4017 Email Contact
