Water temperature now available online in Helsinki – see the water temperatures at eight popular beaches

Artikkelikuva: Water temperature now available online in Helsinki – see the water temperatures at eight popular beaches

You can now check the exact water temperature at eight popular beaches in Helsinki online. Beach sensors produce data online year-round every thirty minutes.

A typical situation for summer and winter swimmers is that no exact information has been available on the water temperature and the temperature must be determined on site. Now information on water temperature is available from eight beaches in Helsinki. The beaches included are Hietaniemi, Rastila, Vasikkasaari, Pikkukoski, Sompasauna, Pihlajasaari, Vartiosaari (Reposalmi) and Marjaniemi. The water temperature can be viewed at uiras.fvh.io (in Finnish).

This is an experiment run by the City of Helsinki’s innovation company Forum Virium Helsinki and the City of Helsinki Culture and Leisure Division, the aim of which is to test how low-cost IoT sensors can handle water temperature measurement not only in the summer but also in the winter season.

‘The water temperature information can be used by both summer and winter swimmers. We started the testing at the beaches of Rastila and Pikkukoski in the spring, and now information is already available for eight beaches. The sensors proved to work well even in the cold weather of early spring. The data produced by the Uiras 2.0 sensors has an accuracy of +/- 0.5 °C and is updated every 30 minutes. The beach sensors are a good example of how smart sensors can be utilised to benefit city residents,’ says Senior IoT Specialist Aapo Rista from Forum Virium Helsinki.

More beaches joining in

Currently, information on the water temperature in Helsinki is available from the beginning of the bathing season in mid-June to the end of August. During that time, the City’s lifeguards measure the temperature manually and update the information on the wall of the booth and the ulkoliikunta.fi service. The sensors allow for the production of more accurate information automatically and throughout the year. There will be even more beach sensors in the summer. The City of Helsinki will add water temperature monitoring to a few beaches in Helsinki in the coming weeks.

‘Providing swimmers with accurate water temperature information in summer and winter is a good addition to our services. As a city, we want to promote physical activity in many ways and make it comfortable and smooth. At the same time, we are developing Helsinki into the most functional city in the world for swimming enthusiasts as well,’ says Petri Tuominen from the City of Helsinki Culture and Leisure Division.

Photo: Aleksi Poutanen

Further information

Kuva

Aapo Rista

#API #6Aika
Mobile: +358 40 674 0440
aapo.rista(at)forumvirium.fi

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