MetService to supply road weather information to New Zealand road alliance

The Milford Road Alliance, a partnership between the New Zealand Transport Agency and Downer NZ to ensure the safe and efficient management of activities on State Highway 94, is to implement new and enhanced weather forecast services from MetService. Climbing through the Southern Alps, State Highway 94 is one of the highest highways in New Zealand. It includes the Milford Road which stretches from Te Anau through Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound and the high-altitude alpine conditions, a steep and r
May 9, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The Milford Road Alliance, a partnership between the 6296 New Zealand Transport Agency and Downer NZ to ensure the safe and efficient management of activities on State Highway 94, is to implement new and enhanced weather forecast services from MetService


Climbing through the Southern Alps, State Highway 94 is one of the highest highways in New Zealand. It includes the Milford Road which stretches from Te Anau through Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound and the high-altitude alpine conditions, a steep and rugged terrain that can be beset by floods and avalanches, can pose significant risks.

To keep the road safely open as much as possible, the Alliance operates specialised weather and environmental data acquisition devices at both road and mountain levels. Information from these systems is supplied to MetService forecasters to provide regular expert interpretation.

For the 2017 winter season, MetService is providing the Alliance with several new and enhanced forecast services, including severe weather threat matrices covering the threat of snow, strong winds, and heavy rain with free air freezing level (FAFL). In addition, animating rainfall, snow and cloud ceiling forecast maps are being provided.  Site-specific rainfall and temperature probability forecasts complete the picture in term of value-added forecast services, while significant improvements to the distribution and communication of data and forecasts have been made.

The new services complement those currently provided by MetService to the Alliance and are designed to assist informed decision-making about the management of the road at an operational level including mitigating the risks posed by avalanches.

Air Quality & Weather Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New Zealand government driving the switch to electric vehicles
    May 9, 2016
    The New Zealand government has announced plans to double the number of electric vehicles in the country every year to reach approximately 64,000 by 2021 in an ambitious and wide ranging package of measures to increase the uptake of electric vehicles. The package also includes extending the road user charges exemption on light electric vehicles until they make up two percent of the light vehicle fleet and a new road user charges exemption for heavy electric vehicles until they make up two percent of the h
    Read More
  • xThermal and day/night security camera
    July 25, 2012
    The new Galil from Premier Electronics is a powerful day and night multi-sensor observation head especially developed for security applications. It allows medium-range observation and detection using state-of-the-art thermal imaging and CCD technology.
    Read More
  • ITS New Zealand welcomes autonomous car testing in New Zealand
    February 25, 2016
    Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand (ITSNZ) is enthusiastic about the future of their industry following the publication of Ministry of Transport guidelines for testing of autonomous vehicles on New Zealand roads. The guidelines outline rules and offer advice to any organisation considering testing of autonomous vehicles in New Zealand and encourage companies to share findings with the Ministry and NZ Transport Agency so that the country can benefit from the opportunities this emerging technology
    Read More
  • New chairman and fresh thinking at Ertico
    October 6, 2015
    Cees de Wijs, who was elected Chairman of Ertico ITS Europe in June, puts the Partnership and this ITS World Congress in context.
    Read More

Highlighted Content