Gavin Morgan

28 September 2007

SHETLAND ISLAND Council is gathering local and national support to push forward their campaign to get weather radar coverage for the isles.

Shetland is the only area in the UK that is not covered by the 13 strong national radar networks. The nearest at Druim a’Starraig near Stornoway extends only as far as Fair Isle.

Two previous attempts to get coverage were unsuccessful because Shetland had “no trunk roads”.

The £ 1.5 million device could track volatile or unusual weather fronts and is highly accurate at providing up to the minute information on projected rainfall.

The SIC has now relaunched their campaign for a radar with the full support of northern isles MP Alistair Carmichael and Shetland MSP Tavish Scott.

The thinking is that the new administration in Holyrood could be petitioned to fund what is widely considered an essential service.

Alistair Carmichael has written to the chief executive of the Met Office inviting him to visit Shetland and to meet with relevant locals about the need for a radar to be based in the isles.

He said: “It is unacceptable that Shetland, home to Europe’s largest oil port, in addition to its offshore installations and marine industry should be excluded from this nationwide weather network.”

Yesterday (Thursday), the council’s harbour board decided to approach a long list of local and national businesses, and local organisations using the sea in a bid to strengthen their case.

The board’s chairman, councillor Alistair Cooper said: “We are not just going to go to the government and ask for weather radar, we want to have the support of industry and users around us.”

Mr Carmichael added: “Local industries rely more than most on good quality weather forecasts. The Met Office attitude in the past has been that we are simply too far for them to be bothered with. That is simply not good enough.

“Working alongside Shetland Islands Council and Tavish Scott MSP, I plan to continue pressing the Met Office and Westminster over the need for Shetland to have its own weather radar.”