Real-time OGC compliant online data monitoring and acquisition network for management of hydro-meteorological hazards

Natural calamities are undesirable events which often cause significant damages to the society and environment. One of the prime drivers for such a situation is rainfall which, when in excess, is responsible for initiating hydro-meteorological hazards like flash flood, landslides. In this context, a suitably designed real-time, telemetred and open-source standard rainfall and water level data acquisition network for flood-prone areas may be indispensable in managing the likely hydro-meteorological hazards. This paper demonstrates the design of such a web-based online low-cost high sampling OGC compliant data acquisition and signal transmission system with multiple remote data logging points to capture information of rainfall distribution over a pilot scale catchment. The network also monitors the water level at the exit end of the basin to facilitate the estimation of catchment run off. A study is also made to compare the distributed rainfall observations of tipping bucket rain gauges with that of an ordinary rain gauge. Finally, the possible applications of the observed data in managing hydro-meteorological hazards are indicated.