Weerplaza (part of Infoplaza)
Weerplaza is part of Infoplaza, one of the major all-round weather forecasting providers for media, consumers, governments and businesses. We operate under several different brands, such as Weerplaza, Buienalarm and Infoplaza Marine Weather (previously known as Bmt Argoss), ensuring accurate meteorological information for customers in various markets worldwide.
Infoplaza not only provides weather forecasts for consumers, but also for B2B markets such as construction, agriculture, outdoor events and transport sectors. Under the brand name Infoplaza Marine Weather, we provide maritime weather, wave and ice forecasts for the offshore oil & gas, shipping, coastal engineering and renewables industries for locations around the world.
Understanding the weather mitigates business risks. For example: in arctic regions the effects of ice on the local climate and the operations need to be considered and in tropical regions tropical storms and squalls can severely impact operations. Our meteorologists actively monitor the local weather and MetOcean conditions at project sites worldwide 24/7/365.
Go to the company website for more information on Weerplaza
Inge Beukema – working at Infoplaza
Providing weather forecasts worldwide
In 2009 I started my bachelor Soil, Water and Atmosphere in Wageningen to become a meteorologist. However, during my studies I also developed a strong interest in Geohydrology. Therefore, I decided to do both specializations during my master Earth and Environment (2012-2015). For both I wrote a thesis at the university, but I only had to do one internship. For my internship I decided on a subject in meteorology after which I found a company where I could work on the phenomenon squall lines.
During my internship at BMT ARGOSS I got a job offer as a maritime meteorologist. After a couple months of training, I could work my own shifts. During those shifts I virtually go around the world to provide weather forecasts. From the Sea of Okhotsk to the Bay of Bengal, followed by the Gulf of Guinea or the Gulf of Mexico and back to the North Sea. There are a lot of different types of offshore projects, like installing windfarms and dredging harbors. For each project you need a different approach as sometimes the windspeed on different heights is important, while during other projects the wave height will be the limiting factor. Working offshore can also be highly impacted by heavy thunderstorms or tropical cyclones, monitoring those and sending warnings is also part of the job. As you work in all those different regions and climates of the world the work is highly variable!
In September 2018 BMT ARGOSS merged with Infoplaza. Thereafter the company continued its business under the tradename Infoplaza Marine Weather. After this merge I got the chance to include forecasting for the Dutch market to my tasks. During those shifts I prepare forecasts for several Dutch sectors like rail, agriculture, construction and energy. During summer a lot of music festivals are organized around the Netherlands. Preparing forecasts and monitoring the weather during those events is than added to my tasks. In the winter season icing support is also part of the job.