Tabula brings weather intelligence into field operations
Weather can determine whether a job goes ahead, needs to be delayed or has to change during the day, particularly for contractors and farmers managing spraying and other weather-sensitive field work.
New Zealand technology company Tabula has added weather functionality to its Tabula Live field operations platform, bringing current conditions, forecasts and visual weather information into the same mapping environment used to plan and manage jobs.
The update centres around a compact weather widget that displays current conditions for the area being viewed on the operational map. As the user moves between locations, the weather information updates to reflect the area on screen.
That allows an operator or manager to move between farms, paddocks or job sites and compare conditions without having to switch between Tabula Live and a separate weather service.
Expanding the widget provides additional information on current conditions and a forecast covering the next 24 hours.
Six interactive weather layers can also be displayed directly over the operational map, covering temperature, humidity, wind, wind gusts, rain and Delta T. Rather than presenting weather information only as individual readings, the layers provide a visual indication of how conditions vary across the area being managed.
Wind information can be overlaid with the other weather layers, allowing users to view wind direction alongside factors such as rainfall, humidity or Delta T.
For agricultural contractors, one of the more useful additions is likely to be the Delta T layer. Delta T, which represents the difference between wet-bulb and dry-bulb temperature, is commonly used alongside other weather information when assessing spraying conditions. Incorporating it into the operational map gives spraying teams another source of information when considering where and when work can be carried out.
Tabula CEO Michael Whittaker says weather is already a constant consideration for customers planning field operations.
“Weather is one of the factors our customers are constantly taking into account when planning and carrying out work. Bringing that information into Tabula Live means they can see it alongside the jobs, locations and operational information they’re already working with,” says Whittaker.
“It’s another way we’re bringing the information teams need into one connected view, making it easier to understand what’s happening across an operation and make informed decisions throughout the day.”
The significance of the update is less about replacing existing weather services and more about putting weather information alongside the work it can affect. For a contractor managing machinery and operators across several locations, conditions can be considered against the jobs already scheduled in Tabula rather than as a separate piece of information.
Tabula says the weather functionality is intended to support operational planning and decision-making rather than replace the checks required before weather-sensitive work. Operators remain responsible for assessing conditions and meeting relevant compliance and health and safety requirements. Pilots using Tabula must also continue to use an approved meteorological product for flight planning.
Weather data within Tabula Live is supplied by Open-Meteo.
Founded in New Zealand in 2006, Tabula (formerly TracMap) develops field operations technology used across agriculture, horticulture, aerial operations, fire and emergency response and other field-based industries.