When we ask Siri for a weather report, or flip to The Weather Network to get a view of the latest snowstorm barrelling across the continent, we are unconsciously consuming data. We don’t think about the facts, figures and measures that go into producing the forecast that tells us to wear a toque. But behind the phone apps and television broadcasts is a complex, fascinating world of weather data providers.

Pelmorex Media Inc. is a Canadian firm at the forefront of weather data usage and delivery. Consumers would know Pelmorex through its media properties: The Weather Network (Canada, US, UK), MétéoMédia (French-speaking Canada) and eltiempo.es (Spain). But what they don’t know is everything that goes on behind the scenes to make weather accessible to the public.

Through its mobile, tablet, TV and desktop screens, Pelmorex generates more than 12 billion page views per year and reaches over 40 million unique consumers a month. And much of the information consumed comes from open-data sources.

Open Data: The First Sets


The history of sharing open meteorological data is a long one and, oddly, was in part influenced by the Titanic disaster in 1914. The sinking of the Titanic led to the establishment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). SOLAS (and its subsequent iterations) specify that weather information collected by ships must be shared to ensure marine safety. As telecommunications technology expanded through the 1950s, the World Meteorological Organization established the World Weather Watch Programme to facilitate the operation of a global system to exchange meteorological information. This further pushed the openness of meteorological data and marked the beginning of modern-day weather forecasting.

With the advent of radar stations, satellites and computer modelling the volume and quality of meteorological data available increased exponentially. Then, in 2013, the G8 Open Data Charter made it far easier to get free data sets from government sources and it’s created enormous opportunities for new and existing firms.

“There are now 100s of data sets related to weather,” explains Iain Russell, Director of Meteorological Research and Development. “The sheer volume of it is phenomenal. In our work, we gather, process and correlate some of this data – designing and developing algorithms and software to generate the outputs we need to satisfy our end-customers.”

Many of the weather-related data sets used by Russell and his team are open sets from Environment Canada and other government agencies (i.e., NOAA in the US or Met Office in the UK). However, not all of Pelmorex’s data sets are from open-data sources. Pelmorex also pulls data from private sector collectors and data firms – firms that specialize in the analysis of specific types of data (water quality, for instance). This hybrid collection model allows Pelmorex to increase its access to data and take advantage of pre-processed, quality-assured information from established partners.

Location, Location, Location


Pelmorex taps into a complicated array of data sets that might surprise users. In addition to “weather” data – models, observations, radar, satellites and lightening – Pelmorex uses a large array of geographic data sets (many also from open sources). The geography component is key; Pelmorex can deliver weather, environmental and physical data within a one-kilometre radius of a user’s location.

“We have about 100 data sets that give us GIS [Geographic Information Systems] information. These include sets like street maps, topographical information, vegetation, administrative boundaries,” says Jim Saini, Director of Geographical Services and Profiling. “This kind of data helps us deliver hyper-local information and create forecasts based on things like elevation, neighbourhood and other physical factors.”

Health & Safety


Pelmorex layers additional environmental information on top of the weather and location data. It aggregates, cross-references and distributes data relating to beach reports, pollen counts and health indices (like influenza strains) by location. This health and safety data is beyond “weather” and an incredible benefit to end users and the public at large.

In 2010, Pelmorex began construction of the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination (NAAD) system. The platform distributes – via national broadcasters – alerts that pose “an imminent or unexpected threat to life” including Amber Alerts for missing children and tornado warnings.

“We’re always looking for ways to add value for the end user,” notes Chris Willsher, Director of Distribution. “We do that by trying to deliver information that’s more helpful, more reliable and more useful, or by finding better ways to get information to people when and where they need it.”

What’s Next


The rise of connected devices adds a whole new set of data that Pelmorex is beginning to consider. “We’re interested in how we can leverage crowd-sourced data from IoT devices,” notes Chris Willsher. “The volume of data from non-traditional sources like smartphones or connected cars would give us another layer of information while also offering new distribution methods.”

So in a few years, when our cars deliver today’s snow forecast in tinny, autocratic voices, it’s likely Pelmorex has a hand in it. And perhaps some bright entrepreneur will think of a new way to use open data to get us information that makes our snow days better. Like telling us when the plow is coming so we don’t have to shovel that driveway twice.



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About Pelmorex Media Inc.


Celebrating 27 years, Pelmorex Media Inc. is the parent company of The Weather Network, MétéoMédia, Eltiempo.es and Wetterplus.de. Pelmorex operates in Canada, the U.S., Spain, the U.K. and Germany. The Weather Network and its French counterpart MétéoMédia are Canada's most popular weather and information services on TV, web and mobile apps. Eltiempo is Spain's leading multi-platform weather information provider. Pelmorex also operates Canada’s National Alerting Aggregation and Dissemination System (Alert Ready) which aggregates and distributes emergency alerts issued by authorized government agencies.

About ODX


Canada's Open Data Exchange (ODX) is a private-public partnership. Its mandate is to make it simple to access and use any open data for commercial purposes. ODX connects those who need data with those who have data. It develops tools to share data, facilitates a partner network to accelerate commercialization, and leads a national initiative to strengthen Canada's technology brand. ODX is turning open data into real wealth. Learn more at codx.ca.

Interesting Factoid


“Canadian media outlets ran some 229 per cent more weather stories than outlets in… 160 countries surveyed.”

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1 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/hockey-and-weather-coverage-set-canadas-news-media-apart-study-suggests/article22100506/

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