Weather balloon

Weather balloons that do not carry an instrument pack are used to determine upper-level winds and the height of cloud layers.

[5] Transosondes, weather balloons with instrumentation meant to stay at a constant altitude for long periods of time to help diagnose radioactive debris from atomic fallout, were experimented with in 1958.

The unit that performs the actual measurements and radio transmissions hangs at the lower end of the string, and is called a radiosonde.

[1][2][3][4] Some facilities will also do occasional supplementary special releases when meteorologists determine there is a need for additional data between the 12-hour routine launches in which time much can change in the atmosphere.

The weather balloon was also used to create the fictional entity 'Rover' during the production of the 1960s TV series The Prisoner in Portmeirion, Gwynedd, North Wales, UK in September 1966.

[12] Weather balloons, after reaching an altitude of approximately 35 kilometers, burst, releasing their instruments and the latex material they are made of.

The latex material, which can persist in the ocean for extended periods, can harm marine life, including sea turtles, birds, and fish.

Efforts to minimize the environmental impact of weather balloons include developing biodegradable materials and improved recovery methods.

Transosonde ready for release
Picture taken at approximately 30 km above Oregon using a 1,500 gram weather balloon
Rawinsonde weather balloon just after launch. Notice a parachute in the center of the string and a small instrument box at the end. After release it measures many parameters. These include temperature, relative humidity , pressure, and wind speed and wind direction. This information is transmitted back to surface observers.
A hydrogen filled balloon at Cambridge Bay Upper Air station, Nunavut, Canada
Launch of wiki payload into stratosphere