Vodafone mobile networks to help protect the UK from flooding

Nowcasting is the short-term forecast of rainfall, typically over a timeframe ranging from a few minutes to a few hours ahead. The trial is across the River Severn catchment area to provide long-term resilience for communities and the environment.

Communities along the River Severn have a long history of flooding. Significant floods in recent decades have caused extensive damage to homes and businesses, while impacting local infrastructure and disrupting travel. 

An estimated £230m per year is spent across the
region to manage and mitigate damage to infrastructure brought by floods.

The partnership will use Vodafone’s mobile network as an environmental sensor to monitor rainfall. 

Electromagnetic waves at certain frequencies are sensitive to precipitation, as water in the air affects the quality of the wireless link between masts. A microwave link can therefore function as a virtual rain gauge, providing pinpointed and precise precipitation data.

Wireless DNA will monitor all signal variations to identify those caused by precipitation and
share this data with the River Severn Partnership to enhance early warning systems for flooding and improve flood defences for local residents.

The additional data will provide insights to supplement conventional systems, like radar and rain gauges, with a dense layer of ground-level observations.

Vodafone’s mobile network can work as an environmental sensor because the data offers greater accuracy than radar and more detail than weather stations, improving forecasts with localised insights.

Matt Smith, Programme Manager, RSPAWIR, said: “The River
Severn Partnership is committed to making the Severn, Wye, Warwickshire Avon and Teme the most vibrant and resilient river network.

"As a result, this River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region use case with Vodafone aligns perfectly with our strategic aims.

“By improving weather forecasting, we can better mitigate against flooding, improve resilience, and protect the health and livelihoods of the communities and businesses in our region.”

Nick Gliddon, Director of Vodafone Business UK, said: “Storms and extreme weather
are becoming more frequent and destructive.

“Working with River Severn Partnership, we can use our cutting-edge technology to provide greater insight on weather forecasting and help mitigate the impact of extreme events.

“This example shows how, through innovation, our mobile network can have a real impact on not just the lives of residents who live and work in the River Severn area, but for communities across the UK.”

The project has recently won The Future Networks Award for Radical Breakthroughs, awarded by the UK Telecoms Innovation Network for pioneering disruptive innovations in networking technology.