Wind farm supports new weather station for Redcar RNLI

The weather station connects to the internet through the Redcar charity’s website and provides up-to-the-minute information on wind speed and direction. Together with a webcam which shows the sea conditions, the website is used by scores of sailors, windsurfers, fishermen, and the lifeboat crew itself, each day to see in real time what conditions are like.

Tony Jamieson, Redcar RNLI’s Coastal Safety Advisor, says: ‘We try lots of different ways to help people who use our seas to stay safe. Knowing what the weather is like before setting off means they can decide if it’s safe to go to sea at all.

‘We’ve spoken to people from as far away as Leeds who have said they look at the weather information on lifeboat station’s website and if it doesn’t look safe they don’t even set off.

‘Even if one life is saved because that person decided not to go to sea then the weather station has more than paid for itself.’

The Tees offshore Community Benefit Fund is provided by EDF Energy Renewables who operate the Teesside Wind Farm off Redcar.

Dave Cocks, Redcar RNLI’s Lifeboat Operations Manager, says; ‘We are extremely grateful to EDF Energy Renewables for the grant. 150 years ago, the lifeboat station would hoist storm cones to warn the local fishermen about dangerous conditions. Now, in the day of the internet and smart phones, anyone can visit the lifeboat station’s website and see exactly what’s going on without even stepping out the door.’

The grant application was made through the Tees Valley Community Foundation, who administer the fund on EDF’s behalf.

The Redcar RNLI website can be found at www.redcarlifeboat.org.uk.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Image shows Tony Jamieson, Redcar RNLI’s Coastal Safety Advisor, with the weather station equipment. Credit RNLI/Dave Cocks
• Redcar lifeboat station has been operating since 1802
• Redcar currently operates a B-class lifeboat named Leicester Challenge III, paid for by the people of Leicester, and an IB1-class lifeboat named Eileen May Loach-Thomas, paid from the legacy of the late Nicolas Thomas of Shropshire
• For more news, information and images go to www.redcarlifeboat.org.uk
• Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/redcarrnli
• Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RedcarRNLI

RNLI media contacts:

For more information please contact Dave Cocks, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager on 07894 558 483, Alison Levett, RNLI PR Manager, North, on 01642 754828 or 07786 668912 or at [email protected]. Alternatively, contact Clare Hopps, RNLI Press Officer, North on 01642 754811 or 07824 518641 or at [email protected], or contact RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789; [email protected]

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