New dataset Met Office LIDARNET Ceilometers network cloud base and backscatter data

The Met Office have opened up their LIDARNET ceilometer data to allow the research community to access cloud height and backscatter data from a network of 47 lidars around the British Isles.

These laser cloud base recorders (LCBRs), returns a range of products for use in forecasting and hazard detection. Parameters include visibility, cloud base height and also backscatter profiles (and associated coefficients), allowing detection of aerosol species such as volcanic ash.

The Met Offices, in conjunction with Met Éireann, operate Vaisala CT25k and CL31 ceilometers and Jenoptik CHM15k Nimbus ceilometers across 37 different sites, some with multiple ceilometers.

CEDA presently have hourly records from 13th July 2015, though the Met Office LIDARNET data are restricted to BADC users that have registered for access to these data.

For more information about this dataset collection and to apply for access go to:

http://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/uuid/38a6e76871fca4c58d0f831e532bff41