Iluminar, the specialist manufacturer and supplier of infrared (IR) and white light illuminators and license plate recognition products, is supporting NBC Universal’s The Weather Channel, ‘Tornado Track’ crew.
Featured regularly on The Weather Channel each time they are on the road chasing storms, the Tornado Track crew is led by meteorologist Mike Bettes. Mike and his team stay use a GMC Yukon full-size SUV to check severe weather conditions and report their findings live, on-air and online. The Weather Channel broadcasts these Tornado Tracks primarily to ensure the safety of those who maybe in harm’s way, and also to illustrate to viewers how powerful each tornado outbreak is.
Amongst the most deadly of weather phenomenon, nighttime tornadoes are 2.5 times more likely to kill than those occurring during daytime hours. ”Nocturnal tornadoes are particularly dangerous for several reasons,” says Dr. Greg Forbes, severe weather expert at The Weather Channel. “One is that it’s nearly impossible to see the tornado coming, so getting and heeding warnings is crucial. Another is that people are often asleep and caught unaware. People are usually at home, often in structures that are not as sturdy as their place of work.”
Helping the Tornado Track crew to see the powerful natural phenomenon in the dark are iluminar’s super long-range IR919 series LED infrared lights. Marc Weinstock, Director, Field Operations, explains: “The iluminar infrared lights help us tremendously, because often, storms happen at night and without either true night vision or infrared it’s impossible to see some of these tornadoes. Our new Q-Ball™ camera system mounted to the Tornado Track vehicle has infrared capability. Supporting this capability, two iluminar super long-range infrared LED lights are mounted on the front of the vehicle and one on each side, to give 270 degrees of coverage – allowing the crew to see tornadoes at night.
“We thank iluminar for their generosity in donating some of the lighting to the cause. They have helped subsidize the project, which alerts the public to eminent weather patterns and promote public safety.”
“We are thrilled to work with NBC Universal and The Weather Channel in their efforts to alert people to the threats of severe and dangerous weather,” says Mrs. Eddie Reynolds, President & CEO of iluminar Inc. “This is a wonderful venture and we are pleased iluminar infrared lighting is playing a role in keeping people safe and informed.”
