Weather station for The Royal Theatre

When The Royal Theatre reached out to Hans Buch’s metrology expert Kristian Kristensen, it wasn’t far from idea to solution. The task was a portable weather station to support safety during the theatre’s outdoor performances. Read the case here.

A weather station for the benefit of both the audience, stage technicians, and actors at The Royal Theatre

The Challenge: A portable weather station for outdoor theatre

It wasn’t just any customer who contacted Hans Buch in mid-2020. The solution, however, was something Hans Buch’s meteorology department was already more than familiar with. The task was a portable weather station that could accurately and reliably measure wind direction, speed, strength, and precipitation.

The customer was The Royal Theatre. They had long been seeking an optimal solution to support safety during their large annual outdoor performances at Moesgaard Museum near Aarhus and in Dyrehaven in Copenhagen.

The requirements for Hans Buch were thus simple but specific. The weather station, in addition to being able to measure wind and precipitation, had to be portable, allow for data extraction for statistics, and be easy to operate and flexible enough to be implemented in The Royal Theatre’s changing sets and stage equipment.

“We have previously experienced equipment breaking down due to heavy rainfall. We imagine that in the long run, we can make some calculations on how much rainfall is needed for us to take various precautions.”

Morten Bisgaard, Project Manager for site and facilities at The Royal Theatre

The Solution: A simple plug and play installation

In close dialogue with Morten Bisgaard, project manager for site and facilities at The Royal Theatre, Hans Buch’s meteorology expert Kristian Kristensen came up with a solution: A simple plug and play installation that can meet The Royal Theatre’s needs to protect the audience and equipment against the unpredictable Danish summer weather.

Regarding the wishes for the weather station, Morten Bisgaard states:

“There are some requirements for when we might potentially have to cancel a performance because it is not safe to have the audience on the stands. The reason is, among other things, that we often operate with some very tall set pieces and speaker towers. Calculations are made on these installations so that we always know when it might potentially be dangerous to be near them in strong winds. Furthermore, theatre is a very visual experience. Therefore, we naturally have some guidelines for how much it can rain before it is no longer enjoyable for the audience.”

“Last but not least, we also need to ensure that our technical installations and, for example, costumes are not damaged. We have previously experienced equipment breaking down due to heavy rainfall. We imagine that in the long run, we can make some calculations on how much rainfall is needed for us to take various precautions.”

The weather station consists, in its simplicity, of a piece of software, a sensor, a hardware unit, and 40 meters of cable. Additionally, the equipment is delivered in a specially designed case so that the weather station can be easily and safely transported to The Royal Theatre’s outdoor sites.

“After the tests I have participated in with Hans Buch, I am quite convinced that we have received exactly the solution we requested.”

Morten Bisgaard, Project Manager for site and facilities at The Royal Theatre

The Result: A reliable and accurate system

At the time of writing, the weather station has yet to prove its worth. But Morten Bisgaard’s expectations for the system are nonetheless high when it is put to the test for the premiere of The Hobbit in Dyrehaven in May 2021.

“After the tests I have participated in with Hans Buch, I am quite convinced that we have received exactly the solution we requested. I expect that I now have a system I can rely on, and that we can use in the future to make the most qualified decisions.”