YVR has recently installed a state-of-the-art lightning prediction system designed to protect passengers, employees, and airport operations from the hazards of severe weather, specifically lightning strikes. Thor Guard is a welcome addition to our safety infrastructure, allowing us to better serve our community, no matter the weather.
While we’re no strangers to rain in the Lower Mainland, thunder and lightning storms are less common in the region. Uncommon, but certainly not unheard of, and this is where Thor Guard comes in.
As storms develop, there can be significant changes to temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. There is also a buildup of charged particles which cause the electric field to increase. Thor Guard focuses on this last element, using sensors to measure the strength of these electric fields. By monitoring how much static energy is building and changing, the Thor Guard device predicts lightning strikes before they happen, allowing us to take proactive measures to ensure the safety of everyone at the airport.
When lightning is detected in the vicinity of YVR, our Thor Guard technology sounds a loud horn that informs our ground handlers and airside crews that there is lightning in the area.
What this means is everybody working outside, whether on foot, in vehicles or in an airplane should stop their movements and find shelter in a covered area. It might also mean that any aircraft on the ground (i.e. not actively on approach and landing) holds in position until the threat of lightning has passed.
While this can have an impact on flight operations and schedules, it is a necessary measure to increase safety.
At YVR, safety is our number one priority, and with Thor Guard we have one more layer of technology that supports our ability to protect our community against weather-related risks.
If you’re travelling through YVR during one of the region’s rare and wonderful displays of thunder and lightning, know that thanks to our Thor Guard technology, YVR can better manage weather-related disruptions, ensuring that flights, ground services, and other critical operations can continue safely, and as smoothly as possible, even in adverse conditions.
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https://news.yvr.ca/yvr-airport-enhances-safety-with-cutting-edge-thor-guard-technology
