CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — When it comes to staying up to date on our local weather, data-collecting balloons help weather teams all over the country give the most accurate predictions possible.
Two balloons a day are released in our local weather station at the Corpus Christi International Airport.
Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi John Metz said that these balloons are absolutely crucial to keeping people informed and safe.
"The reason that we launch them is to collect the information that we need to feed the weather models and help predict the weather and provide that life saving information," Metz said.
Some of that information that the balloons collect includes temperature, humidity, wind direction and pressure. Metz also said that the when hurricane threats role around, they'll often send up to four balloons a day.
"That data is just so valuable and so it's something that despite all the technology we have today, we rely on and need these weather balloons to collect that information," he said.
Because there is no way to track where these balloons land, Metz said the best way to keep our sea life safe is by simply picking up a balloon and disposing of it properly.
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